


DickWally Week 2019

by Onlymostydead



Category: DCU, DCU (Comics), Teen Titans (Comics), Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Bullying Mention, Dysphoria, Fake Dating, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Ghost!AU, Hanahaki Disease, Light Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Murder, Pet Names, Trans Male Character, Trans Wally West, Transphobia mention, homophobia mention, police mention, pregnancy mention, there's only one bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-06-29
Packaged: 2020-05-18 19:04:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 28,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19340719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onlymostydead/pseuds/Onlymostydead
Summary: A collection of short stories for DickWally week 2019!





	1. Accidental Baby Acquisition

It was quiet. Too quiet.

That was always Dick's thought when he was alone in he and Wally's apartment; it just seemed like something had to be off. But no, everything was fine. His job just gave him the day off, and there was no way he was turning that down... Well, there was no way Wally was letting him turn that down. Of course, it would have been nice if they could have the time away from work together, but... This was fine. 

Besides, Wally loved his job, and he had some things he had been working on lately that were very important, to general scientific knowledge and superhero applications both. With his connection to the speed force, space and time ceased being limitations.

Which, in all honesty, was a little scary, but... That was fine. As long as Wally was the one handling multiverse theory and complex relativity, they were good. All that stuff tended to give him a headache.  
It wouldn't be too long until Wally got home, though. He tended to work his own hours for the most part, and he at least said he would be back in time to eat dinner together. Which, that was just a few more hours now; he slept through most of the day. But he was looking forward to it. Hell, maybe he'd even decide to cook.

That was a rarity, right there, and not the cooking. Both of them having the night off... As long as nothing that required a superhero came up, they were solid.

Of course, as soon as he thought that, it had to be jinxed. That was just their luck.

Curling up on the couch, Dick flicked on the TV and started flipping through channels. Nothing really good was on, but-

But as soon as he got comfortable, his phone had to ring.

"Hey, uh, Dick?" Wally started talking as soon as he picked up the phone, voice a little higher than normal. "I... Might have a little bit of a problem at the lab."

Dick sighed. He almost wished he could say this was an unusual occurrence, but... That would be a lie. Dating Wally never got boring, often because of the... Questionable decisions he decided to make. It was surprisingly endearing at this point.

Impulsive scientist with the world at his fingertips. What's not to love?

All jokes aside, though...

"What is it, Walls?"

He cleared his throat. "I might have, uh... Maybe, could have... I was messing around with the future, trying to replicate the conditions I had the weird dream-like vision under before?"

And it had to do with complex space-speedforce-time relationships. Naturally.

Dick's eyes widened. "What did you do?"

Wally blurted something out, faster than he could understand. Another perk of dating a speedster.

"...say that again, babe, slower this time."

"I might have maybe ended up with a couple of babies...?" He repeated, trailing off a little. "And I don't really, actually know how to hold one? I certainly don't know how to take care of one..."

Dick nodded. "Can you come get me?"

Sure, this was supposed to be his day off, but it appeared things were taking an interesting turn - and he wasn't about to complain about spending the day with Wally.

Besides, he really needed to figure this one out. Whose babies were they? How did he acquire them? We're they human? Animal? Alien? How many were there? 'A couple' could mean a lot of things to Wally, not just two.

"Yeah, of course, babe... But are you allowed to leave babies alone?" He asked, voice still tight. "They're not super little, but..."

"Is there somewhere in the lab you could set them nicely without them being in imminent danger?"

"Yeah, I think I know a room." He said, sounding a little more confident. "Kay, I'll be there in a flash!"

Dick snorted. "You're such a dork."

"And you love it."

"Yeah..." He chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm at the apartment, but I'm guessing you guessed that?" 

"Yup, on my way! Wall-man out."

Wally hung up, and Dick slid his phone into his sweatpants pocket. 

But seriously. Whose babies did he accidentally end up with, though? How? Why? Dick had always wanted kids, but stealing them from the future wouldn't be his first way to do it; he always figured they'd adopt.

Dick snorted at that thought. It wasn't even that funny, but he was tired, and the idea of stealing a child from the future made too much sense in his life, these days. It just kept getting weirder and weirder, and when you started as a couple of teenage superheroes?

Fast as ever, Wally zoomed into their apartment, vibrating right through the door and pressing a quick kiss to Dick's cheek. "Alright, ready to go?"

He nodded. "Always. How did you-"

But Wally was already scooping him up into his arms, bridal style like they always did. Wally zoomed him back to his work, the speed immediately cutting off what he was going to say until they were standing in front of Star Labs, the Keystone branch.

Every time Dick saw the building it made his heart swell with pride. It really was Wally's dream to work here as a research scientist; he got to experiment on and work with the things that interested him personally, at this point. Which admittedly ended up a mess sometimes, but... He was happy, and he still did great work.

He just sometimes accidentally stole babies from the future.

"Alright, explain to me what went wrong... Or what happened, I guess." Dick slipped out of his arms, running a hand through his hair. "And whose babies are these?"

"One at a time?" Wally was turning scarlet, sliding his ID card and holding the door open. "So, for what went wrong, I was trying to see into the future again, right?"

"Right." He nodded, stepping inside.

"So I focused in the location on the apartment, since the residual speedforce energy last time was enough to peek in, but not enough to cause any damage. But, now that I have the babies here in this time, I did some extra math, and..." Wally swallowed, awkwardly slowing down the pace as he led the way to his lab.

"And what?" 

"Well... it's embarrassing, because I didn't preliminarily do the math on how it would respond to another speedster presence."

He laughed. "Only you could be embarrassed by something like that."

"You could too!" Wally argued. "It's not the most thorough way of doing things... Or some shit. Isn't that how Bats taught you?"

"Well, yeah." 

"Alright, anyway..."

"So, it reacted that way because future-you wasn't at the apartment when you peered in last time?" Dick waited for confirmation, then nodded. "It was just me, alone there in the middle of the night, making coffee in the Nightwing costume."

"It's good to know some things won't change, yeah?" Wally waggled his eyebrows. "You'll still be as much of a sleep deprived crazy-man as ever."

He shrugged. "Probably... but you are too."

"Speedsters need less sleep though, right...?" Wally looked unconvinced, grimacing as he turned to look over at him. "...But anyway, back to explaining. The speedforce to speedforce relationship is delicate at best and tumultuous at worst, so with the added pull of the machine, I kind of might have... created a vortex that sucked the babies from the future into our world in this time."

Dick frowned. "Why just them, and not me last time?"

"Because they were the only ones home this time, so I didn't end up with another me... Well, besides you, I think you were probably home... Anyway, what I'm trying to say is... They might have a connection to the speedforce?"

Wally opened the door specifically to enter his lab space, holding the door for Dick and shutting it behind him. Slowly, trying to process all of the implications of that, he stepped through the door.

"What? That young?"

"...which leads to the answer to your next question..."

Realization dawned on him.

"Whose kids are they? I mean, is it not far in the future so they're your Aunt and Uncle's? God forbid they're Bart's." A long silence followed, only allowing his thoughts to go crazier. "Eobard didn't get to them, did he?"

"They're ours." Wally stated, turning bright red. "Like, we have kids in the future. Had kids in the future? Will have?"

Dick blinked, taking a moment to process. "We have kids in the future."

"Uh huh." He nodded.

"And they have a connection the the speedforce?"

Another nod.

"Which means that..."

Dick didn't have to finish the end of that sentence. He and Wally had never seriously talked about whether or not they wanted kids in the future; it was just too messy a topic with both of their... Backgrounds. But, apparently, in this future, they decided to have kids. And Wally had chosen to get pregnant. He really didn't see that coming. It was a valid choice, but not really one he expected his boyfriend to make. 

For one, that sounded like hell for anyone. For two, as a trans guy, he could only imagine it would just suck all the more. 

"Yeah." Wally nodded, taking a deep breath and blowing it out slowly. "Which, I mean, I'd never really thought about, but..."

"How far in the future is this?"

"About ten years... Approximately." He flipped open a notebook, eyes scanning the page. "As close as I can approximate, you're thirty two and I'm thirty one... But that's based off some dodgy science at best, so I wouldn't take that as a set thing."

"Alright. That's a decent amount of time in the future." Dick nodded, relieved. "I'm certainly not ready for kids now... Unless, of course, we end up having to take care of them. Then I guess I'm ready?"

"Uh, yeah. Me neither and same simultaneously... But I don't think it'll come to that." He shuddered. "And they're twins!"

"Twins? Definitely not ready for twins."

Two. As soon as he knew that they were human children, taken from the future, the idea of Wally with a whole gaggle of babies was pretty much gone, but hearing that there were only two was a relief nonetheless.

"But, at the same time..." Dick trailed off, looking Wally in the eye, a smile tugging at his lips. "Why haven't I met my future children yet?"

Wally laughed. "They're in this room down the hall, come on. They were sleeping earlier..."

He followed, through another door, down a hall... Then into the last door to the right.

This was it.

His first thought was to laugh. The two babies had clearly been put in shallow walled, padded trays meant for delicate evidence and samples, but after that...

He couldn't deny the tears that welled up in the corners of his eyes.

"They're beautiful." Dick couldn't help but smile, gently scooping up the twin closer to him. 

He was the smaller one, with adorable chubby cheeks and a tuft of dark hair curling on his little forehead. And when he opened his eyes, they were a dark, hazel green color. When he smiled, he just about melted.

"Look, Wally, he has your nose." Dick pointed out, holding him closer so he could see.

"I never quite know how people say that." Wally admitted, shifting back and forth. "Like, he's so cute, he has a nose, but is it really like mine? Maybe I just don't see it... I'm also still freaking out about this whole thing."

Dick chucked, booping the baby on his little nose before returning his attention to Wally again. "I'll admit... I don't really know. And you hold them like this, see?"

He demonstrated, gently holding the baby, taking care to support his neck.

"Alright." Wally zipped over, carefully scooping up the other twin. "Like this?"

"Perfect." Dick smiled. "Just relax a little bit; it's not rocket science."

"I think I'd be more relaxed if it was." He chuckled awkwardly, gently swaying back and forth, the baby in his arms. "Oh yeah, and this is Irey, and that's Jai. Respectively. Their names were on the tags of their onesies."

"Alright... Aww, she's got your hair, doesn't she?"

"Yeah, she does." Wally smiled. "And my eyes too, I think... but that's just because blue eyes are the most unlikely. Green eyes for the win, huh, Irey?"

Irey babbled something, wiggling as he held her.

Dick laughed. "Yeah... They're just so cute."

"They really are... But it is a little scary holding them."

"Why?"

"Because I've never really held a baby before." Wally admitted, glancing away at the wall. "I always kind of avoided that."

Dick raised an eyebrow. "Why's that?"

"I mean... When you're a 'girl'-" He did an air quote with his free hand. "Around a baby, everyone just talks about how you'll be a wonderful mother some day, and it's..."

"Really creepy?"

Wally nodded. "And really dysphoric. I mean, I know I apparently choose to get pregnant in the future, but... Choosing is different than people expecting it of you all the time, you know?"

He nodded. "That makes sense."

"But anyway... We have these kids for the next twenty four hours."

Dick's eyes widened. "You already know how to send them back?"

"Of course." Wally nodded, trying to hold Irey so she would stop squirming so much. "I mean, it's pretty simple. I just have to get the machine running again... And that's how long it takes for its cool down time." 

"Oh. Well... Twenty four hours."

"Yep."

"With babies." He added. "Interesting. At least I have the night off?"

"But you know how to take care of a baby, right?"

Dick grimaced. "Not really? Not more than the couple hours I babysat Lian at a time when Roy was all out of other options."

"And I wasn't even an option." Wally noted. "So... We should probably find someone who knows what they're doing, shouldn't we?"

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Dick could practically see Wally thinking, the gears turning in his head as he tried to figure it out. Then realization dawned on his face in the form of a huge grin.

"Don't you think he'd be busy?"

"Nah," He shook his head. "He normally tries to take Saturday's off."

Wally raised an eyebrow. "Won't that make him resent us even more for calling him for help on his day off?"

Jai, who up until now had been quite quiet, started to whine a little bit. That, of course, made his sister also start to fuss, until they were both full-on crying.

They met eyes.

"Well, it looks like we're calling him anyway," Dick pointed out, lightly bouncing Jai and pulling out his phone with his free hand.

"Behave, you're on speaker phone." Dick warned jokingly, still trying his best to pacify his crying baby.

"Why the hell are there babies crying?" Roy asked, sounding like he very well may have just woken up. "What the fuck, Richard? Where did you get a baby?"

"Long story." Wally answered before Dick got a chance to. "But we don't know how to take care of them."

"Hey, Wal- Them? There's more than one!?"

"Twins." Dick explained. "They're... ours from the future."

"...got it. Congratulations. I'm guessing you need help?"

"Uhh... Yeah."

"What with?"

"Well..." Wally trailed off. "Starting with the fact that they're crying?"

"Holy fucking hell, I am regretting leaving Lian with you, Dick. Okay, well first you want to check..."

***

Several hours, a trip to the grocery store, and some borrowed things from Roy later, Dick and Wally were back at their apartment. As it turned out, Irey and Jai were just hungry... Which they often were, because of the connection to the speedforce. Dick was not looking forward to that particular part ten odd years in the future.

"Aren't you just glad they aren't toddlers yet?" Wally pointed out as he bottle fed Jai. "Then they would be able to run around. That would be..."

"Actual hell?" Dick chuckled, shaking his head. "Nah, but, really... I love them."

"Already turning into a dad? Maybe you really will turn into Bruce after all."

He rolled his eyes. "Pfft, no. And we are definitely not in a place where we should have kids yet."

"Absolutely not." Wally agreed. "I mean, that's terrifying."

"What part?"

"All of it, really." He sighed, putting down the bottle and moving Jai to burp him. "I mean, pregnancy, for one. And before this, I didn't even know what would happen to kids when the... What do you call the parent who gets pregnant?"

"...not really sure."

"Well, when that parent is a speedster. There's so much that could go wrong, and then if the baby makes it, you end up with a teeny tiny life you could ruin forever. What if I end up like..."

"Shh," Dick stepped closer to him, pushing his messy red curls out of his eyes. "You'd be a great dad. I know it."

"You think so?" Wally smiled, but it didn't quite meet his eyes. "I mean, I just... People say so much about kids becoming their parents, and that's terrifying."

"You won't." He assured him, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "The only thing like that we have to worry about is that you'll start acting like your uncle."

Wally laughed. "He already tells me I act like Aunt Iris."

"Yeah... I think it's just that you think the same as each other." Dick pointed out. "You laugh at the same jokes."

"Maybe so... You'd be a great dad too, Dickie."

"Even if I turn into Bruce?"

Wally snorted. "You won't turn into Bruce. You're too good for that."

"Really? I mean, all I'm missing is a bunch of kids, according to you that one time."

"I never said that." He argued, gently laying Jai down in his borrowed bed. "I said you're in danger of becoming him, not that all you're missing is kids."

"No, I'd be in danger of becoming him if I started adopting black haired blue eyed kids from troubled backgrounds." Dick explained. "As is? I'm good."

Wally snorted. "Alright, good to know what to look out for... But really, you'd make a great dad."

"I mean, I... Sometimes I think I barely know what a dad is."

"What do you mean?"

"I know all the normal, conventional stuff we're shown in media," Dick explained, wiping a bit of formula off Irey's cheek as he talked. "But past age eight? I never really had a dad. Bruce did his best, but..."

He trailed off. It was hard to say the rest, to think about all the things he missed out doing with his dad. And yeah, he had Bruce, he had Alfred, but... 

"No, I get it." Wally gave him a reassuring smile, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "And you're definitely not alone in being totally terrified by fatherhood."

"Yeah." He breathed, leaning his head against his shoulder. "To being dads without dads, I guess."

"Wait." 

"What?" Dick stood up a little straighter. "What is it?"

"Do you think... What if future-us are missing their kids?"

He blinked. "Well, that's certainly a danger."

"We'll just... Remember to return them tomorrow morning." Wally nodded. "Yep."

"Return them? You make it sound like they're a library book, or a Blockbuster movie." Dick chuckled, elbowing him lightly. 

"Hey! What am I supposed to say?" He crossed his arms. "And Blockbuster? How old are you?"

"Im only a year older then you, jackass."

"Wait." Wally froze. "We're teaching our future children to curse."

Dick raised an eyebrow. "Do you think we would try not to curse around our kids?"

"Roy does... And it's not exactly approved of by society for a two year old to know the f-word."

"That is also true." He accepted. "How much time do you think we have before one of-"

Just like that, Irey started crying. So much for his ideas of making dinner.

Dick sighed. "I'll get that, can you go get the mail?"

"Can do, babes." Wally grinned, pressing a kiss to his cheek before zipping through the door, not even nothing to open it; not like he ever did.

Perks of dating a speedster, he supposed, already on his way over to check on Irey. And if he wasn't nearly as afraid of fucking things up with Wally by his side... Maybe they'd be alright at this after all.

In a few years. Definitely a few years. But Dick would have to say that he'd miss little Irey and Jai, in the meantime.

He just hoped their parents - them from the future - weren't missing them now.


	2. Road Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick is on the lonely car ride home when he decides to go pick up a lone hitchhiker along the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this doesn't quite match the prompt, but you know what? I'm living my best life, and I don't think y'all mind.

Normally, when Dick was driving, he didn't stop for anyone or anything. His friends could say all they wanted about it, but learning to drive in a big city like Gotham just had that kind of effect on people... Even though driving through fields in farmland Indiana wasn't exactly his regular area, he still defaulted to eyes forward, ignoring any hitchhikers and avoiding other traffic.

Maybe it was the different setting that possessed him to stop. Maybe he was just in an off mood, headed home, feeling lonely. There was only so many stereotypical road trip songs you could blast in your car alone and not feel lonely.

Either way, he stopped, to let in a lone hitchhiker who had been walking along the side of the road. No car was in sight, so it probably wasn't car trouble, but...

"Need a ride?" 

"Uh... Yeah, actually." The man nodded, sheepishly staring down at his feet. "If you would?"

"Sure, hop in." 

He obeyed, opening the passenger door and ducking inside, pulling on his seatbelt and shutting the door firmly behind him. Dick almost waited to see if he would say something, but... The guy looked pretty caught up in his own head. His eyes didn't quite seem present, but not in a way that implied drugs.

No, he just had a lot on his mind. 

"You know hitchhiking is dangerous, right?" Dick asked, just barely sparing a glance his way. "That's a good way to get killed, especially around here."

A nervous laugh bubbled up from the guy's lips. "Yeah... What do you mean by 'especially around here'?"

The open plains, the fields of tall plants all around... Anyone could be hiding in there. Anything could be hiding in there, his ex-cop background insisted. In Gotham it never happened that way, but... Killing someone and hiding their body in the field was an easy job, especially when it was someone hitchhiking. Alone. Close to night time.

Regardless of all of that, he shrugged. "I mean, there isn't really much in the way of civilization around... Where are you headed?"

"Central City, eventually."

Dick frowned, turning to look a little closer at his new passenger. The answer was quick, rehearsed; that could go two different ways, though. Sure, he didn't look like a fugitive, but he didn't trust that immediately. Anyone could do anything, as far as he figured.

But he hoped not, because this guy was cute, from the top of his curly red hair to his beat up yellow converse. Never mind, knock off brand converse. He wore ill fitting, well-worn jeans, and a red hoodie with a comic book character on it, but it was so faded you could barely make it out. No visible stains anywhere... Or at least, no suspicious ones. He didn't appear to be bleeding, either, which was another good sign.

Besides that, he carried a backpack with a pillow strapped to the top, like a cartoon character might. Cute.

"But, really, come to think of it... Which direction is Central?" He asked. "Oh wait, sorry. I'm Wally, Wally West."

"Wally West." Dick echoed; it seemed genuine enough. "I'm Dick Grayson."

"Nice to meet you, Dick." Wally smiled, still a little fidgety, but...

He was really cute; Dick couldn't help but blush. "So... What has you hitchhiking?"

He shrugged, beginning to pick at his nails. "I, uh... Just moving. Getting out of my hometown that's for sure... I'm, I mean, about where are we?"

"We are currently..." Dick glanced down at the GPS on his phone. "Roughly five hours from the Indiana-Ohio border."

Wally whistled. "I started out in Nebraska, just yesterday. Blue Hills, tiny little town. Supposedly sweet and home-y, really lonely and terrible."

That didn't sound too suspicious. "Well, good to be free, right? I think, deep down, everyone wants to get away from the place they grew up."

"Where are you from?"

"Gotham, mostly." Dick explained, looking over at him again. "Before that a bunch of places, but... Gotham was the longest."

"Sounds... Complicated." Wally stated, eyes still wide; maybe they were just like that? "Then again, I've kinda lived in the same place my whole life."

"Can't even imagine. Especially a small town; I think Blüdhaven is the smallest place I've lived."

He winced. "Blüdhaven? Isn't that, like, the really nasty one?"

Dick nodded. "The one and only. People only live there if they can't help it... Or if they're involved."

"Which were you?"

"What?"

"Were you there because you couldn't help it, or because you were... Involved." Wally clarified, with a smile that implied he assumed the former.

He was right, but... Still.

"Couldn't help it." Dick answered. "But how come you're the one asking that?"

He raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"You are the one hitchhiking."

"...true." Wally admitted. "Is that illegal in this state?"

"No idea." Dick shrugged. "I guess we're criminals, now."

"Partners in crime... Our names don't sound nearly as good together as Bonnie and Clyde."

He laughed. "Dick and Wally? Wally and Dick? I mean, you could use Wallace..."

Wally shrugged. "And you could use Richard."

"No one calls me Richard, though."

"And no one calls me Wallace... Besides, anything with Wallace sounds like Wallace and Grommet."

Dick tipped his head to the side. "Like what?"

"You know, the British claymation TV show thing?"

He turned his head, giving him a blank stare.

Wally shrugged. "Weird. Okay, well... It's weird, actually, I'm not going to try to explain it. You're not missing out on too much."

"I mean, we've got plenty of time." Dick pointed out. "I don't plan on stopping until Stanton, and that's a good few hours away. You should be able to find somewhere to stay the night there, too."

He nodded. "Sounds like a plan. And seriously, there's not much to explain: it's a guy named Wallace, and a dog named Grommet, and every episode they get into some shit somehow? I don't know, I didn't watch much of it as a kid."

"...weird. Never hear of it."

"Well, now you have." Wally grinned. "The more you know?"

"I have a friend who always follows that with, 'the less you wish you knew'."

"That's wild..." He chuckled, shaking his head. "Anything special in Stanton?" 

"Nah. Just another stop." Dick answered simply. "I'm headed back home, and it'll be a bit before I can get there."

"Makes sense." Wally nodded, and went back to picking at his fingernails. "Where is that, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Gotham again." He rolled his eyes. "I love that city as much as I hate it, you know?"

"...not really."

"People who didn't grow up there usually don't." Dick agreed, nodding. "I used to loathe it entirely."

"It just scares the fuck out of me. My uncle went there once for a special work training, and the stuff he described seeing-"

"Oh yeah, it's horrific."

"And you're okay with just living there?" Wally's eyes were wide, eyebrows raised. "I know I couldn't."

"Yeah, it's shitty, but..." Dick frowned. "This is going to sound really cheesy."

"What is it? I love cheese."

Laughing, he shook his head. "Not that... Anyway. It's an awful city, and it's really dangerous, and you can ask people how many times they've been mugged instead of if they've ever been mugged, but... I want to make it a better place."

Wally blinked, a hand coming up to rest over his heart. "That was so sweet."

Dick could feel his whole face turning red. Damn, he was too cute. "You think so?"

"I mean... It's just really neat." He shrugged. "I mean, I don't give a fuck about my hometown. It can go to hell, for all I care. Out of there now."

"Hell yeah. What's in Central for you, then?"

"Bunch of stuff." Wally started. "If you don't mind me talking your ear off for a moment... I have a tendency to talk too much."

Dick had to resist the urge to tell him that he would listen to his voice forever. It was a nice voice, if a little bit unusual and a fair amount stereotypically gay; that part wasn't helped by the fact that he talked fast. It was pleasing, though, in a way. Something about it had a sweet kind of enthusiasm. 

"Not at all."

"Great!" He took a deep breath. "So, up until this point I've been doing college courses online, to get my general classes out of the way before doing more specific stuff. Anyway, though, I'm attending Central City University in the fall? Maybe? If I can get them to acknowledge the validity of the other courses I've taken, which has proven to be a shitshow. Anyway, then my aunt and uncle live there, so I guess I'll get to see them? And I have an internship at Star Labs starting next week." 

"Star Labs?" It was Dick's turn to be wide-eyed. "You must be pretty damn smart."

Wally turned bright red. "I mean, well... It's an unpaid spot, so it's not like I'll be doing much in the way of actual science."

"Still be better than what I'd be doing; science was never really my thing."

He shrugged. "I really doubt it'll have much to do with science at first... What kind of things are you doing?"

"To be honest? No clue." Dick admitted, running a hand through his hair. "I mean, not very long ago I was a cop, but..."

Wally winced. Not much, but just enough for Dick to notice. Interesting... Then again, not that interesting. 

"No way I'm going back to that, though." He finished, shaking his head. "I had that naïve idea where you think you can change things like that from the inside, and... Well, if I lived somewhere other than Gotham, maybe. But in Gotham... I can't help the feeling all it did was get me enemies."

"That... Sucks, man."

Dick laughed. "Yeah. Yeah, pretty much. I'll get a job where I can. For now..."

"You're picking up hitchhikers on the side of the road?" Wally asked, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Pretty much, yeah. Which is, possibly, illegal here."

"Oh, random thought, if you could have one superpower, what would it be?" 

He laughed again. "I don't think anybody's asked me that question since grade school."

"Well..." Wally shrugged, his face quickly turning red. "Long car ride? I can go first, if you want."

"We do have quite a bit of time to kill." Dick thought aloud, then glanced over at Wally. "Easy: flight."

"Really? But everyone chooses flight."

"That's because it would be the coolest though, isn't it? To be able to soar over everything else, to be able to save people, to not have to drive for hours and hours on end..."

Wally laughed. "I guess you're right about those. I mean... It's always been between invisibility and super speed, for me."

Dick raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Why?"

"You're a ginger dressed in bright red and yellow." He reminded. "Invisibility is pretty much the last power I would have picked for you." 

"...weird." Wally shrugged, reaching up to touch the back of his hair. "I mean, I think every high schooler wants to disappear, somewhat, anyway."

Old memories of Gotham Academy flashed through Dick's head, of cruel kids and dismissive adults. Wally's words echoed back in his head, about his hometown really being terrible. Something told him they had that in common, at the very least: not fitting in.

The closer he looked the more those suspicions seemed true. His shoes really were ratty and worn, jeans old and definitely too short, faded comic book hoodie, and... Did he cut his own hair? The way his curls were made it hard to tell, but Dick bet he had. 

"Yeah." He breathed, shaking his head. "I definitely did."

"But I mean... I think super speed would be cooler, too." Wally decided with a sharp nod. "'Cause then you could go anywhere so fast, without a car or anything like that. And if you could go fast enough to go over water..."

"But flight would do the same thing," Dick pointed out. "And you'd get the better view."

He shrugged. "Maybe I'm just uncomfortable with heights. Never been that high up, really... Never mind, no I'm not. I climbed the town water tower, once."

"You what!?"

Wally's face lit up. "Okay, so it started out on a hot July morning, and we're talking hot..."

***

It was dark by the time they reached Stanton, and Dick knew a whole lot more about Wally. Despite looking a little young, he was actually only a year younger than him, almost twenty. He also loved pineapple on pizza. He had nearly no sense of self-preservation when it came to thrill-seeking.

But now it was late, and he had passed out, fallen asleep against the car window, snoring ever so softly. Apparently he was a heavy sleeper; he didn't wake up even when Dick got out at the motel. The only motel in Stanton, he found out. It was just large enough a town to have one, but not so big that there'd be a hotel, or really anywhere else to stay. Dick didn't mind; it was like he could have afforded somewhere better, anyway.

He approached the desk, where a tired looking young woman seemed to stare at the clock, no doubt waiting for her shift to end.  
"Hi, what can I do for you?" She asked in a droning voice, not bothering to move much at all.  
On one hand, two rooms would have afforded more privacy, but his wallet screamed for just a double.  
"Do you have any double rooms available?"

She shook her head.

"Then... Two singles?"

Again, she shook her head. "I've got one queen sized bedroom open, that's it."  
Shit. Alright...

"I'll be right back." Dick declared, turning on his heel and walking back out to the parking lot.  
Wally was still asleep, his face looking odd smashed against the glass. But it looked like he was going to have to wake him up sooner than later, so Dick unlocked his car and hopped back into the front seat.  
Carefully, he shook Wally awake. "Hey, we're here."  
"What?" Wally startled awake, hitting his head on the roof. "Ow... Oh, we're here?"  
Dick nodded, suppressing laughter. "Only one problem... There's only one room open."  
"Oh, easy." He shrugged. "You take it and spend the night, I'll just keep going."  
"No way."  
"Why not?"

"I'm not leaving you to walk alone in the dark." Dick said, shaking his head. "I was going to ask if we should just drive on to the next town."  
"Isn't the next town smaller?"

"Shit." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "So that's not an option... I'll just sleep on the floor, then."

"What?" Wally's eyes went wide. "No way, you've been nice enough to drive me all this way, I'll sleep on the floor."

"I'm not making you sleep on the floor, that was the least I could do."  
"Really, I don't mind."

"It's a queen sized bed, so... Technically, it would be big enough to share." Dick pointed out. "If you'd be okay with that."  
Wally turned so red he was almost purple. "Uh, yeah. I'd be fine with that."  
"I mean, if you're not-"  
"No, no, I am." He assured him. "Just wasn't quite, um, expecting that."  
Dick shrugged, trying to stay nonchalant. "Okay, well, then... That settles that. Let's head inside."

***

The room was small, and shitty, but Dick honestly couldn't care less at this point; he just wanted to sleep. Immediately upon entering he tugged off his shoes, dropping them by the door. 

Wally followed suit, then tossed his bag down by the closer side of the bed. He unstrapped the pillow from the top of his pack, setting it on top of the ones already on the bed.

Which, actually, seemed like a good idea now, but Dick couldn't go back in time to slap himself for not bringing a pillow with him. Instead he just went to the bathroom, brushing his teeth and swearing he'd take a shower in the morning before going back out to the main room.

He and Wally basically switched places, and within a couple moments the shower was running.  
How long had he said it had been since he left Nebraska? Dick didn't remember, but it was too long to just be walking, that was for sure. He didn't know if anyone else gave him a lift for a ways, but... That was certainly one way to get out of town.

But he had been there. A little younger, and in a different situation, but he had been a runaway once. He understood too well to be able to turn him down.

It didn't help that he was so damn cute, either. With those freckles that seemed to cover him all over, and the bright green of his eyes, the way they lit up when he was excited by something...

As if on cue, the bathroom door opened, and out walked Wally. His hair was wet, falling into his eyes and dripping on his too-big t-shirt. Every part of skin Dick could see was covered in freckles just like he expected, his arms, what his shorts showed of his legs... He looked so damn cute. He couldn't help the way his face heated up just at the sight of him.  
Wally walked over to his bag, shoving the clothes he had been wearing inside, then zipping it back up. With a yawn, he climbed under the covers...  
...and Dick noticed how long he had been watching him. Fuck. He was all ready for bed too, so he just followed suit, flicking off the lights and climbing into the bed.

They both laid there, silent, neither one sleeping. Dick could tell from his breathing, and Wally... Who knew about him, really?

"Well, this is awkward." Wally whispered. 

"Yeah." Dick whispered back. "It, uh... Kinda is."  
"We should probably just try to sleep, shouldn't we?"

"Probably." He agreed, scooting a little closer. "But as long as both of us are awake..."  
Wally stiffened. "What?"

"Twenty questions?" Dick suggested. "As long as we have nothing but time to kill, and we keep doing things from back in grade school."  
He chuckled, muffling the sound with his hand over his mouth. "Sure... What are the rules again?"  
"I think you just go back and forth asking questions until you reach twenty, or someone won't answer one. You go first."

"I go first?" Wally hummed as he thought. "What's your favorite color?"  
"Blue." Dick answered simply. "What's yours?"

"Yellow." He took a moment to think. "If you could go one place in the world, where would you choose?"

"That's such a hard one... I'm going to go with Paris."  
"Why?"

"Why not?" Dick asked. "That wasn't a question, by the way."

Wally laughed. "I didn't think it was."

"My question is... you know what, I'm going to be boring again and copy yours."  
"I... I might have to just go with Central City." He admitted. "I just really miss my Aunt and Uncle, and with this internship... I can't wait, to be honest."

"That's... A much better answer than I gave." Dick said. "You actually put thought into it."  
Wally shrugged. "I don't know... I just met you, and maybe this is me not having a sense of self-preservation again, but... I feel like I can really trust you... Even though I was just hitchhiking with you."

He couldn't say anything for a moment, just trying to process that. "Well..."

"Sorry, I made it weird, didn't I?"

"No, not at all." Dick shook his head. "I feel like I've known you longer than I have, for certain, and... It's your turn."

"What's one of your biggest pet peeves?"  
"Ooh." He grimaced. "Well... I hate it when people say things are pet peeves, when really they're things that actually make you angry."  
Wally scooted a little closer. "Explain?"  
"Like, when someone says... Homophobia is their pet peeve." Dick rolled his eyes. "Like, that's not a pet peeve, that's something that made you rightfully angry."

"That... Makes a lot of sense."

"My turn, I'm guessing?"

"Yeah."

"I hate that I keep doing this, but what's your pet peeve?"

Wally snickered. "When someone wants to play twenty questions, then just keeps asking the same question back at the person who went first."

"That's... Fair. Your turn?"

"Are you gay?"  
Dick swallowed. "Yeah. Well, no, I'm bisexual."

"Cool." Wally said, and Dick could hear the smile in his voice. "Now your turn."

"What's your favorite flavor of icecream?"

"Rocky road." He answered, sounding a little let down. "Pick one: vampires or werewolves."

"Vampire if I'm one, werewolf is someone else is one." Dick explained. "Now... Are you gay?"

Wally snorted. "Did you just go through a round so that you wouldn't ask the same question back to back?"  
He smiled. "Maybe. Does that count as a question?"

"Only if that one does, you asshole." 

"So...?"

"Oh, right." Wally took a deep breath. "Yeah? I think I might be bi. Gay or bi. And... Coffee or tea?"

"Tea." Dick answered, feeling a little lighter. "What's your favorite season?"

"Summer." He shifted. "Mountains or fields?"

"Mountains." That was an easy one; the wide open land gave him anxiety. "Do you have a favorite kind of flower?"

Wally looked at him weird; he could feel it. "No... At least, I don't think so. Do you?"

Dick nodded. "Dandelions. Some people think they're a weed, but they grow anywhere, despite anything you throw at them."

"That was... Beautiful."

He laughed, feeling himself blush. "Well... If you had to get a dog, would it be big or small?"

"Big." Wally answered easily. "I'd need a dog big enough to run with, anyway. Do you play any instruments?"

Dick shook his head, then nodded. "The last foster home I was in I had piano lessons, but I was never much good. Do you like horror movies?"

"Yes?" It sounded more like a question than an answer. "They scare me really bad, though. Are you more of a night person?"

"Yeah. My sleep schedule is fucked... Books or movies?"

"Movies..." Wally trailed off. "ADHD makes books hard for me, most of the time. Movies too, but... Less so? I don't know. Anyway, uh... Pepsi or Coke?"

"I don't believe in brands." Dick shrugged. "If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?"

"Wow, now we're getting into the real ones." He swallowed. "I guess... I mean, stereotypical of me, but I would make myself a cis guy."

"For a scary second there, I wasn't sure if you were going to say you'd change your freckles."

Wally scooted a little bit closer. "Why scary?"

"Because I love your freckles." Dick admitted, feeling his face heat up. "They're really cute."

"Oh." He breathed. "Well, um... Beach, or forest?"

"Beach, but only anywhere other than Gotham; the pier is disgusting. Favorite food?"

"I can't choose, I like food too much." Wally answered. "Why'd you become a police officer in the first place?"

Dick sighed. "I was right out of high school, and my foster dad was a police officer... I guess I wanted to please him. And, like I said, I thought I could make the force better all on my own... Spoiler alert, I couldn't."

"Yeah... I'm sure you did well, though."

"I certainly did my best." He shook his head. "Have you ever been in a relationship?"

Wally shook his head. "Blue Hills was tiny, and no one liked me... You?"

"Oh, and now you're doing it?" Dick teased.

He elbowed him lightly, just the contact sending a jolt up Dick's spine. "Oh, shut up."

"Yeah, I guess?" 

"What does that mean?"

"I dated a little bit in high school." Dick explained. "But never for very long. Do you have a type?"

Wally laughed. "No, I don't, do you?"

"I mean, I don't think I do... But I have friends who would argue against that."

"Really?" That did nothing to stop his laughter. "What does that mean?"

"Well..." Dick could feel himself blushing. "I've been told I have a little bit of a thing for redheads."

Wally's breath caught in his throat. "It's, uh- is it your turn?"

He shrugged. "I don't even know how many questions we have left."

"Me neither..."

"But I think it's probably my turn to ask." Dick decided. "Would you believe me if I told you I think you're handsome?"

"I, uh... Don't know, to be honest. That almost isn't a question, really." He mentioned, but seemed to pay it no more mind than that. "When you picked me up, what was going through your head?"

Dick frowned. "I guess... I was lonely. And when I stopped, you were really cute, so... That didn't hurt things at all. What convinced you I was safe?"

"Hold on," Wally watched over, putting a hand on Dick's shoulder. "Give me a moment to process that, will you?"

"Which part?"

"Do you actually do think I'm cute, or handsome, or-"

He laughed. "Of course I do; why would I have said it like that of I didn't?"

"I, uh... I don't know." Wally finally stammered out. And you asked me... I guess something just felt right? I don't know. You don't seem like a serial killer."

"...thanks."

"You're welcome."

They both sat there silently for a moment, then laughed.

"I guess that means it's my turn, right?" Wally asked, still chuckling. "So... What did you think of me when you first picked me up?"

"Idiot hitchhiking." Dick confessed. "But that was just at the very first."

"Well... What about now?"

"Not your turn." He snickered as Wally elbowed him again. "Do you find me attractive?"

"Yes. Absolutely yes." Wally blurted out. "I mean, you're really nice looking, and... Yeah. Anyway, next question - what do you think of me now?"

"I think... I think you're funny, and handsome, and really damn smart... and such an idiot at the same time."

"I'm really not... Most of those things."

Dick raised an eyebrow. "And I think your self esteem is too low."

"What? Me?" Wally scoffed. "I'm... No, yeah, you're probably right."

"I think we have a lot in common," He added. "More than we know about right now."

"Okay, that's..." 

"And now it's my turn." Dick declared, careful to wait long enough that he wasn't cutting him off. "Do you want to keep driving with me all the way to Central?"

"Yeah." Wally whispered. "Yeah I would... How many questions are we at?"

"No idea."

"Well..." He swallowed. "Would you be into kissing a guy, even if you know he's trans?"

Dick laughed. "What kind of question is that? Of course I would."

"Well..."

Scooting a little closer, until their faces were nearly touching, he leaned in to ask his question. "Do you want to kiss me?" 

Wally's breath shuttered. "Yeah. Yes. I mean-"

Dick cut him off with his lips, reaching up to gently hold his neck, leaning in to the kiss. 

***

The next morning they were all packed up and ready, bags loaded into the car, just sitting in the downstairs of the motel eating the complementary breakfast downstairs. It was a little shitty, but Wally didn't seem to notice. He was eating and eating like he hadn't seen food in years.

Come to think of it, Dick didn't know the last time he ate.

"Hungry?"

He looked up at Dick, mouth still full of waffle. "Yeah?"

"Alright, just be sure to get all you want, we're not going to be stopping for a while once we get on the road."

"Alright, mom." Wally winked, then went back to his food.

Dick laughed, taking another bite of his cereal. Yeah, he normally didn't stop for anyone, but... This was a good exception. He certainly didn't regret a thing.


	3. No Capes/Ghost AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Dick's new foster home turned out to be in Blue Hills, Nebraska, he was sure he wasn't staying long... Until he met the nice boy in the library who everyone else ignored.
> 
> But, as it turns out, even small towns like this hold their secrets...

Dick just got to Blue Hills, Nebraska, and he was already sure he wasn't staying long. 

For starters, the town was tiny. There was only one high school, with about a hundred or so kids enrolled for this next school year, all of which had probably been living here their whole lives. The main center of public life was church, and if he didn't go he had no clue how his foster family would respond. There was one grocery store, and basically nothing else. It was like some power above was punishing him for being a shitty person.

But, then again, it seemed like with every time he ran away, things only got worse or weirder, so... Maybe this was just the logical progression?

Either way, tomorrow was the first day of school, and... At least that would get him out of his foster parents house. They weren't bad, per se, but it was always awkward moving into a new home. Eventually they would calm down, but for now...

He guessed he would just enjoy the time away from them.

***

Yeah, the school was small, but did it really have to be this small? Everyone already knew everyone else, just catching up after their summers, or resuming yesterday's conversations. No one really talked to him.

Which, Dick guessed that was better than some schools he had been at. Here at least they were just indifferent to him, no opinion in the negative.

But indifference made it hard to find a place to sit at lunch, and every table already had people sitting at it, talking and arguing and working on their homework.

With a sigh, Dick turned around and headed out of the cafeteria, looking for a better place to eat. Maybe the library. It never seemed like anyone was in there, and he didn't mind the quiet. In fact, he wasn't even sure there was a librarian here, that's how small the staff was. 

Coming up on the closed doors, Dick peered in through the window.

And shit. Of course there had to be someone directly inside, sitting at one of the tables. And it had to be the cute boy who always sat in the very back of his classes. He was reading a book, his curly red hair falling in his face.

He was the only other person everyone seemed to ignore here.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed open the door and walked over to the table he was at, setting down his lunch.

"Mind if I sit here?"

The boy startled, nearly falling out of his chair. "No! Not at all."

Dick slid into a chair. "Great, I'm Dick."

"Uh, Wally." He smiled a little bit, tipping his head to the side. "You mean... You're acting like you can see me."

That was sad. He was so used to everyone ignoring him that that was his response? Dick had gone from annoyed at this school to downright furious.

"What's up with that? Everyone else acts like I don't exist either."

Wally blinked, green eyes wide open. "Alright... Yeah, they're just like that. A bunch of assholes, really."

"Tell me about it." He rolled his eyes. "But hey, at least you're acting like you can see me."

"Yeah... Sorry, I'm just in a little bit of shock. You're the first person to talk to me in a while."

Dick blinked. "Is it really that bad?"

"At school? Yeah." Wally shrugged, sticking a piece of paper in his book and closing it. "And my parents are still gone on summer break, so I've just been a little lonely. I guess you could say I don't get out much."

"Yeah... I just moved here, so I don't know anyone." He shrugged. "Probably won't stay long, either."

"Move around a lot?"

"I'm a foster kid, so..."

"Oof." Wally winced. "That sounds like it sucks."

"It's not too bad. I don't usually stay any one place long enough for it to be bad, anyway." Dick explained, picking at his sandwich. "And in three years I'll probably just age out of the system, then I'll be free to do whatever."

"Can you promise me one thing, though?"

"What?"

"Don't leave too soon? It's been too long since I had a friend."

Dick laughed. "I can't make any promises, but... It's been a while for me, too."

***

And sure enough, weeks kept passing by, and Dick hadn't left yet. He didn't really know why, at first. It was only for Wally.

Usually, making friends was at the bottom of his priority list when going to new schools. He was leaving soon already, so why should he waste his time? Deciding to talk to Wally was one of the weirdest things he had decided to do recently, in light of that, but... He wasn't regretting that decision. If anything, he was loving it.

Especially when the community was getting together to do a search of the surrounding area for a local girl who went missing, looking the full day one Saturday in September. That was the kind of time, when everyone was going out and not allowed to be alone, when it was good to have someone around. He told his foster parents he was going out with a friend he met at school, and took off.

"There you are, I was worried you wouldn't show." Wally said when Dick got to their arranged meeting place; the parking lot of the local grocery store. "Got a water bottle with you?"

"Yep."

"Sweet, let's head out. Where are we going?"

"We'll find that out in a moment, won't we?" Dick looked around at the people slowly gathering in the lot. "They'll probably assign directions for people to look."

"Probably." He shrugged. "Or we could just go out that way; I know my way around the woods here pretty well."

"We probably shouldn't, but..." Did he really want to wait for other people to get here? "Yeah, let's go."

Wally nodded, adjusting how his backpack sat on his shoulders and starting out. "I used to run these trails around here all the time; no one uses them anymore, though, so..."

"Wait." Dick froze, suddenly pale. "We're looking for a body, aren't we?"

"Well... It's been over six months since she went missing." He stated, staring down at the ground. "I don't think anyone really expects her to come home, whether she ran away or died."

"That's awful. Did you know her?" 

Wally shrugged, starting to walk forward again. "Not really. She was quiet, kept to herself. I feel kind of bad, though."

"Why?"

"Because no one talked to her, either." He swallowed, staring out into the trees. "And maybe if one of us had..."

"You think she killed herself?"

"No. Yes?" Wally shook his head. "I don't know what I believe. I just hope I'm not the one to find her."

"I hope she is found, though." Dick sighed, shaking his head. "I mean, I can't imagine not knowing something like that."

"Well, now you can." 

"That's not what I meant." He frowned. "If I was her family, I mean."

Wally went completely silent. "Yeah, me neither. Can we talk about something else, though? I... Really don't like thinking about it."

"Yeah, that's a good idea." Dick agreed. "So... Dogs or cats?"

He rolled his eyes. "We've already done all of those questions in the universe, I think."

"Only because you asked me all of them."

"...fair." Wally shrugged. "How about... Five places you'd rather be than here. Go!"

"Easy," Dick answered. "A sewer."

He choked. "What?"

"I would rather be in a sewer right now than Blue Hills, Nebraska, looking for a missing girl. Or an alleyway. Or a parking garage somewhere."

"Okay, that was too easy of a question." He decided, brows drawing together in concentration. "Who's your celebrity crush?"

"That's a hard one." Dick groaned. "There are too many hot guys."

Wally turned scarlet. "Guys?"

Oh shit. All of the color drained from Dick's face. Never, for a moment, did he consumed we among all of these conservative, small-town, Midwesterners, that Wally could also be homophobic.

He winced. "I'm bi?"

A huge grin broke out on Wally's face. "Me too! And trans. I wondered if you were, but..."

Dick laughed. "You had me worried, for a sec."

"Why?"

"The way you looked at me, I was afraid you were homophobic." He admitted, kicking a rock out of the trail. "And I realized that I had no idea."

"I mean..." Wally swallowed, glancing around. "That is a fair thing to be afraid of, around here."

Dick's stomach turned. "Oh."

"I wouldn't tell anyone, if I were you. No one at the school is really violent, but... Some adults would take offense to that."

"Well, add 'a dumpster' to places I'd rather be than here."

Wally snorted, elbowing him a little bit. "As long as you're in that same dumpster with me, I agree."

Dick blushed.

"But seriously, though," Wally added, face growing heavy once more. "That's probably why no one talks to me, at least."

"Any idea why they avoid me?"

"Easy: you're different." He stated with a shrug, then turned bright red. "In a good way! Good way. You're different from them, and... I'm really glad."

"Same." Dick laughed. "You're different too, you know."

"Yeah... I know."

"And I'm also really glad." 

Wally turned even redder if possible, bringing a hand up to cover as much of his face as possible. "Anyway... We should probably keep moving, right?"

"Right." Dick nodded. "We're searching out here until... Five, right?"

"Yep. Nine to five, meeting back in the parking lot afterward."

"Great. Let's go. Lead the way, Wall-man."

***

Dick was glad to say they found nothing but a racoon that was very much alive. By the time he and Wally made it back to the parking lot it was just past five, their water bottles were empty, and the sun was just starting to hint at setting.

"Anyway..." Wally's voice trailed off, eyes darting around as soon as they reached the parking lot. "I need to head home. Strict parents, am I right?"

"Ooh, yeah. They're the worst." 

He nodded in agreement. "See you Monday, probably? I've got a lot of homework to do tomorrow."

Dick nodded back. "See you Monday."

As Wally jogged away, though, he couldn't help but watch. His head was still reeling from all the conversations they had out in the woods. Wally was bi too? And trans? It seemed like he was the only other queer person in this town, which was disappointing, but Dick was just happy he met him. What were the odds, after all?

He was nice, he thought to himself, a smile tugging at his lips. He liked him a lot.

Sitting down in the library back on the first day of school was one of the best decisions he had ever made in his life. And staying here, somehow. When Dick arrived he never thought any good would come out of Blue Hills, Nebraska, but...

A couple walking towards him snapped him out of his thoughts.

"You must be the boy staying with the Johnson's, aren't you?" The man asked, offering his hand to shake. "I wanted to thank you for going out there, to look for our daughter."

Dick managed what he hoped was a reassuring smile, taking his hand. "I just hope she's okay."

"So do we." He gave a thin-lipped smile back. "What was your name, boy?"

"Dick, Dick Grayson."

"Thank you for looking, Dick." The woman started. "But don't go walking those trails alone, it can get dangerous out there."

"Oh, I wasn't alone." He assured her. "I had a friend with me; he just had to head back to his house."

She nodded, still looking more than a little wary. "That's good, but I'd stay away from those trails altogether, too. Rudy's seen bears back there, once or twice."

Bears? In Nebraska? Dick wasn't so sure about that, but he wasn't about to correct her. This couple was probably just concerned for his wellbeing, in all likelihood. 

"Thank you for the warning, ma'am." Dick said. "And I'm sorry, what were your names?"

"Oh, no, where are my manners?" The man sighed, shaking his head. "We're the West's. I'm Rudolph, and this is my wife, Mary."

Like Wally? That's what he said his last name was: West. If so, why did he...

"It's good to meet you, but... I should probably get going."

"Of course, son." There was something odd in the way Mrs. West called him 'son.' "We don't want to keep you."

And as Dick headed back to his foster house, more and more seemed wrong about the whole exchange.

***

"They told me to avoid those trails." Dick recapped, absently picking at his lunch with his fork. "Because of bears. Are there even bears in this area?"

"Nope. Weird." Wally shrugged. "They scare me, just a little bit. Not so bad, but... I kind of avoid them."

"Bears, or the West's?"

"The West's."

"Why?"

"Well... Mr. West has a little bit of a reputation around town for being a nasty drunk." He explained. "Though, I've never seen it. And Mrs. West... I don't know how to explain it."

Wally certainly didn't talk about them like they were relatives.

"They weirded me out too, trust me." Dick agreed. "I just wanted to know if you thought the same thing. She called me son."

Wally blinked. "That's... Weird."

"I know, right?"

"Probably nothing, though."

"Yeah, probably." He leaned back in his chair, slumping down. "I can't help the feeling, though... Even though they're weird, I've gotta help this family."

Wally's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"If nothing else, because I'm curious. But no one deserves to be in that kind of pain and not have the definite truth. It's just... That's not how I want to leave things, if I can help it."

"So..." He raised an eyebrow. "Before you leave Blue Hills, you want to find out what happened to her?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"And I'm guessing I'm helping you figure it out?" He assumed. "I don't really want to."

"But you will if I ask you to?" 

Wally turned scarlet. "I mean... I can try? But... Really though, why?"

He frowned, lips pressing together in a tight line. Whether Wally was just skeptical or he was calling out Dick's lie... Well, it wasn't a lie. Just a half truth.

"My parents were murdered." Dick admitted, the words sticking in his throat. "They thought it was an accident at first, but... I knew the whole time, and no one believed me. Only recently did they actually catch the guy."

"Oh," He breathed. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not a big deal, anymore." Dick lied. "Will you help me, though?"

"After... Yeah." Wally nodded. "Of course I will, you're my friend."

"Great." He grinned, pulling a notebook out of his bag. "Well, let's start with what we know about her. Obviously her name... How long ago did she go missing?"

"Six months... Well, March."

Dick scribbled that down. "Do we know who she was seen with, last?"

"She worked at the grocery store, and she closed the shop the night she went missing." He explained. "Then she wasn't at school the next day. Everyone just assumed she ran away, at first."

"Why?" 

"Well... She had it worse than we do, here." Wally stared down at the table. "The kids really picked on her. Then, after a couple weeks, they started wondering if she killed herself."

"That... Makes sense." He kept writing that all down. "Anything else you knew about her?"

"She was a runner. She liked school, would never drop out. We all thought she would be the valedictorian of our class, eventually."

Dick frowned. "Do you know if she wanted to go to college?"

Wally nodded, staring off into the bookshelves. "She wanted to be a scientist, eventually. People were saying she might even graduate early."

"Then why would she kill herself?"

"What?" 

"Why would she kill herself, with plans like that for the future?" Dick asked again, tapping his pen on his notebook. "That doesn't really fit."

Wally swallowed. "You're right... So you think she ran away?"

"Maybe." He froze. "But... Never mind, I'll need to think about that more later."

"You're quite the detective, aren't you?"

Dick shrugged, feeling his face growing hot. "I try. I just don't like not knowing the truth with things like this. And if it's not just a runaway case, or a suicide-"

All of the color drained out of Wally's face. "You think it's a homicide."

"I don't think it's anything, right now." 

"Yes you do. Just... Be careful, alright Dickie?" He swallowed. "I don't want you getting into any trouble."

"Why? Are you worried about me?"

"Yeah." Wally admitted, looking anywhere but at him. "In case you haven't notice do, you're like, my only friend."

"I'll be fine, Wally." He reassured him, leaning in closer. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"You end up getting hurt."

"By who?"

"Whoever did it... If it's a murder." Wally's voice shook. "I don't- fuck, I'm gonna cry."

"Hey, shh..." Dick put his hand on Wally's. "No one's going to hurt me."

"I like you, Dick."

He froze, head spinning. "What?"

"I like you a lot." Wally admitted again, taking in a deep breath. "And... Fuck, this isn't fair to you, but you'll figure it out anyway."

"What isn't fair to me?" Dick's eyes narrowed, brows furrowing. "What do you mean?"

"Just... Whatever you do, promise me you won't search the trails I showed you."

"Why? What's going on?"  
Wally took another deep breath, then sat completely still. "The only other things people knew about her was that Mr. West most likely hit her, and... And she kept a journal."

Dick found himself unable to say a word, eyes transfixed on Wally as he spoke.

"She was always writing in it, and one day... Some asshole at school grabbed it from her and read a page or two. Out loud." He swallowed, wiped his eyes, and continued. "In it, she mentioned that she was actually a he. That she was a trans guy."

"Wally, you can't blame yourself for not being there for him."

He shook his head. "He signed off in a boys name, and everyone was just awful to him from then on. He barely kept his job at the grocery store, and that's just because Mrs. Jenkins pitied him. So he closed down the store, went home, and..." Wally let out a shaky breath. "Word of him being trans had reached his dad."

"No."

"And no one's seen him since." He finished, looking up at Dick with red-rimmed eyes. "And I'm one hundred percent sure that somewhere along those trails is his body."

"But how? How do you know all of this?"

Wally's hands were shaking as he reached up to wipe away his tears. "Because he was the only one who ran them."

"I though you said you-"

Then it all clicked. Trans boy. Also shunned, bullied. A runner. The trails. West.

Dick's eyes grew wide. "But how-"  
He shook his head. "You're the first person who's been able to see me this whole time."

"You mean you're-" He choked. "You're dead!?"

Wally hung his head. "I... I didn't want to tell you."

How had he...? Everything started to fall into place, and Dick couldn't believe he had been so blind. No one else had ever talked to Wally. Ever. And not just how they all avoided him at school, no. No one talked to him at all. They didn't acknowledge his existence.

That was why the West's thought he was alone. That was why his foster parents were confused about who this 'Wally' guy from school was. Because he, as far as they were still concerned, didn't exist.  
And the trails - his body was out there. It had been for so long now, with no one knowing. How had they not searched there? It seemed ridiculous, impossible, but... No, Rudolph West was the one who organized the searches. He was the one who told people where to set out, where to look. And there was no way he would have anyone go out where they could possibly find too much. 

"You're dead." Dick tried to calm his breathing, heart pounding in his chest. "This whole time... You've been dead."

Wally nodded, still slouching low. "I don't know how you can see me. I'm not trying, by the way. If I tried really hard I think I might be able to be visible, but... It's easier to just move things when you're around, and be invisible to everyone the rest of the time."

He took another deep breath, letting it out slowly. "You said I'm not allowed to go out there into the trails?"

"Absolutely not."

"Why? Don't you want them to find out the truth?"

"I..." Wally went silent, then shook his head. "I think you missed the part where no one cares."

An ache started in Dick's heart, weighing down his chest. He had been there so many times, contemplating suicide because there was no one in this fucked up world who seemed to want to deal with him and his problems. And now to hear that Wally had been silent for so long, biting his tongue and holding his breath about his own murder just because no one gave a damn?

"Well..." He frowned. "No one around here cares, anyway. My aunt and uncle care about me, but... They're far away, and they have their own kid, and..."

Dick sighed; now he could see it. "Are you afraid of what could happen to them?"

"I'm not-" He wiped at his eyes, breath shuttering as he exhaled. "I don't want to make them unhappy. I don't want Aunt Iris to know her brother is a murderer, that would..."

Sobs started welling up in his throat, wracking his whole body. Dick tried to put a hand on his shoulder, to hug him, but... His hand slipped straight through. Something about that just made the reality sink in.

Wally was dead.

He shook hands with his killer.

"And I don't... They're happier thinking I just ran away, probably." Wally stated, trying to calm himself again. "If they just think-"

"Wally, if they really care about you, they want to know the truth."

Silence filled the library again. 

"The truth." Wally echoed, his voice sounding tinny and far away. "You know, I... If my 'unfinished business' is done, I might not be around here anymore."

Dick blinked. "Is that why you haven't...?"

"I used to try to lead people there." He explained, wringing his hands. "Anytime there were searches, I would try to lead them. But it would never work. I tried so hard to get them there, and... I never could. I would get so close as they would turn away, or they wouldn't see me, and it hurt, Dick. I tried everything, but no one could see me."

"I can see you, Wally." Dick reminded. "If you need someone to-"

"I love you." He whispered, almost too quiet for Dick to hear. "And I don't want to leave if that means leaving you behind. When that first search happened, I was going to lead you there, then... I don't know. I don't want to lose you."

"I..."

There wasn't a word he could say to make it better. Everything came crashing down in his head, thinking about Wally, about how he was the only friend he had in so long, and...

He didn't want to have him be gone, either. Dick kept losing people wherever he went, that's why he stopped having friends, stopped talking to people because it was just too painful. He couldn't let him go, he couldn't just give him up this easily. 

Especially when he felt the same way.

"I love you too, Wally." Dick admitted in a soft voice, finding himself unable to meet his eyes. "But we don't know for sure if you'll disappear."

"But we don't know for sure I won't! And I'm not afraid of death, but I don't want to leave you alone here, either." He swallowed, shaking his head. "I want to see my aunt and uncle next time they come to visit. I want to keep pretending to eat lunch in here with you. I don't want all of this to go away."

"But if we never tell anyone, no one knows the truth." Dick reminded. "No one will know where you went, or why you haven't come back. And if they knew you very well at all..."

Wally froze, realization dawning on his face. "Aunt Iris knows I wouldn't kill myself... And if I actually ran away, she would be the first person I went to. She knows."

He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes, watching him slowly piece it all together.

"And Uncle B is a forensic scientist. He knows that, after six months, if I didn't run away I'm probably dead."

Dick, unable to speak, nodded. 

"And even if she doesn't know what he did exactly, it's not like Aunt I loves my dad." He sighed. "She knew what was going on with me, with him... That he hit me, when he was drunk. She probably already guessed what's happened."

"Then would it be worth it to..."

Wally nodded, trying to blink away tears. "I just... They should know. I'm just... It's hard to talk about, I guess?"

Dick nodded, laying a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Walls."

He tried a weak smile, but it didn't meet his eyes. "I don't deserve you, Dick."

"Yes you do, idiot." Dick shook his head. "You're kind, and funny, and sweet, and-"

"And dead." Wally reminded. "I'm dead."

"Does that really matter that much?"

He looked shell-shocked, staring at Dick with wide eyes. "I... Alright. I just-? I don't want you to see my body, okay?"

Dick nodded. "Okay."

"Then... That's fine. Come on, I have somewhere to take you."

Skipping school was probably a recipe for disaster in such a small town, but Dick wasn't even thinking about that as they made their way out of the school. He assumed they were heading to the police station, if you could really even call their tiny little building that, but that was the other direction... And they weren't going to the woods, either.

"Where are we headed?"

Wally shook his head. "You... You'll see, okay?"

Going silent once more, he just followed. They were going into a neighborhood he was unfamiliar with, now, just suburban houses with flowers in pots outside, neatly trimmed lawns and trees with leaves starting to go yellow. It would have been beautiful, if Dick didn't know this town's secret.

If Dick didn't love this town's secret.

They stopped in front of a nice house, with peeling off-white paint and peonys past their prime sagging in the front. "West" was painted on the mailbox in fancy script.

Wally sighed, looking down at his feet. "This is where... This is where I'm the most solid, so..."

He leaned in slowly, at first, then came crashing forward in a hug. Dick's head fit right under Wally's chin. He felt so warm and real and perfect, and...

Dick sighed, rubbing circles into Wally's back. "It'll be okay. Things will end up alright."

"I know." He sighed, swaying ever so slightly back and forth. "I just... Needed to do this in case, you know?"

They were just silent, for a moment, and Dick knew that he probably looked crazy hugging someone who wasn't there, but he didn't care one bit. If this really was the last time he could see Wally...

He pulled away, grabbed the back of Wally's head, and brought him in for a kiss. It took a moment for him to relax, to lean into it, but once he did... Wally's lips were soft, tasting ever-so-faintly of mint Chapstick. His hair was coarse under Dick's fingers and his skin was warm.

He didn't feel dead. He felt so fucking alive that Dick couldn't stand it. He should be alive. He should. There was no good reason for this boy to be gone. He should be living and breathing and complaining about Mrs. Edmunds English class and graduating and becoming a scientist one day.

But instead, he was a dead body somewhere in the woods.

"Alright." Wally said, pulling away. "Let's go down to the station."

***

The officer on duty looked skeptically at Dick at first as he walked in, but quickly started listening when he mentioned the missing West kid. He payed attention to the whole story they fabricated, about Dick thinking he saw something the night before when he was out in the woods but not being sure, only now deciding to talk to someone about it. Not once after the name was said did his attention waver.

"Do you think you could lead me out to her?" He asked, and Dick nodded.

So he led him, out to the running trails, through the backwoods. Wally was giving him directions the whole time, walking in the bushes, his body transparent. Only Dick could see him, and he couldn't respond without looking crazy, so-

"This is it." Wally whispered, pointing to a large bush. "Behind that, there."

And as soon as he pointed it out, he could see it. Just the faint gleam of white, a stark white bone picked clean by the forest.

"There." Dick swallowed, stepping closer. "See that, there? I thought it was nothing at first, but... I didn't want to check it out alone."

The officer nodded. "Hold on, let's look around here..."

And when he circled around the bush, Dick saw.

They found him.

***

The town was nearly a riot, after that. People who had seemed so indifferent a moment ago, thinking Wally just ran away, clamored for justice. 

It made anger boil in Dick's chest. None of them cared when Wally was hurting, and now they care so much? Now that it's too late? Now that he's dead?

But regardless of that, things went on, and after school he and Wally had taken to hanging out in the woods. Not very far, anymore. The idea of Wally's bones there, in the clearing, even after they had been collected and sent away...

It scared the shit out of him.

"Calm down, Dickie." Wally sighed, shaking his head. "You don't need to be mad at them."

"Yes I do! Wally, I care too much about you to let this-"

"What are you going to do?" He interrupted. "You can't call them out; you didn't even know me when I was alive. You don't need to be angry, Dick. It's not going to do you any good."

"I..." Dick swallowed. "I hate watching all of this."

"Trust me, I do too." Wally frowned, shoulders slumping. "But I'm angry enough for the both of us, alright? And I'm sure... When are my aunt and uncle getting down here, anyway?"

He shrugged. "I thought it was Saturday, but I could be wrong. They were getting here as soon as they possibly could."

"And they... They probably already have an idea of what happened."

"You think so?"

Wally took a moment, then nodded. "Yeah. I mean... Aunt Iris... She would know. She could guess already, and now that I'm dead?"

"It just provides more proof." Dick nodded, sitting down on a fallen log. "Yeah... But in the meantime..."

"She'll be mad enough for the both of us, so... Everything carries on as usual?" 

He shrugged. Dick didn't want to slow down, he wanted to bring him to justice as soon as possible, but...

The possibility of Wally disappearing forever loomed in his head.

"Yeah. That sounds good."

***

Wally's aunt and uncle got there the next day, Dick's foster parents pulling him out of school to ask if he'd be okay with them staying with them.

"I mean, I can't see a problem with it."

And that was that. His Aunt Iris was clearly the one related to him; with red hair and a smattering of freckles, the same straight nose, the same habit of pursing her lips when she was thinking. His Uncle Barry was very friendly, almost reminding Dick of a golden retriever. His sandy blonde hair and bright blue eyes added to that, then again.

He liked them immediately, recognizing stories Wally had told and the things he said about them. Of course, he had to pretend not to know any of that. Instead, he just helped them move their stuff in to the guest bedroom, offering them lunch or a snack or anything they wanted.

Every time he looked at Iris, though, he caught himself wondering if her skull looked the same as Wally's did. It terrified him.

"We're fine, thank you." Iris finally said with a warm smile, her eyes still showing the pain she was in. "You don't have to worry about us."

Dick nodded, and took that as his cue to leave, rushing back to the forest. The town felt too small, now. It always had, but now it was stifling. He couldn't stand it... But the woods were almost worse, because he knew what was hiding there for do long, and-

He broke out into a run, past the neighborhoods, out into the running trails.

"Wally!" 

"Shh!" Wally appeared in front of him. "Someone will hear you, and they'll think you're crazy!"

"Okay." Dick took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Your aunt and uncle got here."

"They did!?"

"Don't sound so surprised, you knew they were coming the moment they found out."

"I know, but..." Wally swallowed, losing the excitement in his eyes. "I guess it just seems real, now."

Dick frowned. "What do you mean?"

"They'll find out for sure." He explained, sitting down on their normal log. "It just... It seems a lot sooner, now."

"I guess it does."

"Just..." Wally took a deep breath. "Let me have a little more time."

"I'm not rushing you." Dick said, leaning his head against Wally's shoulder. "I... Oh fuck, I'm going to have to say goodbye, aren't I?"

He could already feel the tears welling up in his eyes. 

"Don't cry... We still have a little more time."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." He wiped his eyes. "I just... I don't know."

"It's okay." Wally tried to smile, pressing a kiss to Dick's cheek. "I mean... I was dead anyway, right?"

"Right... But that doesn't mean I can't still lose you."

"...I know." He whispered, his throat catching. "I... I need a little more time with my aunt and uncle, even if they can't, you know, see me."

Dick nodded. "I understand."

"And after that, well..."

***

It was a few weeks later. No progress had been made on the case, really: cause of death was determined to be strangulation.

Which only resulted in Dick vomiting when he thought too hard about it, one night; he shook the same hand that squeezed the life out of his best friend. His boyfriend. His "We love each other, but you're dead so dating would be pointless."

But he and Wally were back in the woods, sitting on their log.

"Dick, I think it's..." Wally sighed. "I love you."

"What?"

"I love you." He repeated, leaning close...

And they kissed, but this time, Wally was cold. His hair still felt coarse, and his lips still tasted ever so faintly of mint Chapstick, but that body heat was gone.

He was dead. He really was dead.

"And I think it's time."

***

Dick trudged back into his house with a heavy heart, relieved to see his foster parent's car was still gone. Only Barry and Iris should be home...

Sure enough, there they were, sitting at the dinner table. They both looked so exhausted, so worn out. Iris was nursing another cup of coffee. Barry was drumming his fingers on the table.

He cleared his throat. "Hey, guys?" 

They both turned to look at him with tired eyes.

Slowly, Dick slipped into one of the other chairs. He stared at his hands for a moment, then, mustering his courage, took a deep breath.

"I know what happened to Wally."

***

And Dick was at the funeral, alone. Wally was gone as soon as the convictions went through.

Not long after that, he left Blue Hills, Nebraska. Something good had almost come out of that town, but... He never got the opportunity to leave.


	4. Fake Dating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's summertime in Happy Harbor, and Wally is bored out of his mind. So... What better to do than fake date his real crush?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a little bit of Artemis/M'gann, but it's really background.

Things at Mt. Justice were getting boring. Summertime was usually interesting, as teen heroes, but lately, well... It seemed like nothing was going on. Villain activity was at an all time low, which was technically a good thing, but also meant that the Young Justice (they still needed to get a better name - that one kind of sucked) crew was bored out of their minds. They had already gone down to the beach countless times, lit fireworks from the top of the mountain, held races between Connor and Wally that Wally easily won...

Things were getting closer to underwhelmed than whelmed, to quote Dick when he was younger.

So, long story short, Wally was bored. And what better to do, when bored, then bother your friends?

"Hey, Dickie, you what'd be funny?" Wally asked, lounging over the top of the couch.

Dick looked up at him, raising a perfect eyebrow. "What, KF?"

"If we pretended to date each other."

"What? Why?"

"Well..." 

How was he supposed to say, "Because I'm too much of a coward to date you for real?" Wally had no idea, besides, he wasn't about to admit that, so... Second best truthful option. 

"...Artemis might have said something to the effect of me being un-date-able, and I need to prove her wrong."

Well, she really bet him that he wouldn't ask Dick out, but... Close enough?

He laughed. "So you want me to pretend to date you?"

"...yeah." Wally nodded. "Not like, super big and overacted and stuff, just... Just enough to drive her crazy."

"Wally, be honest with me." Dick turned fully on the couch so he could face him, looking straight at him with those beautiful blue eyes.

He couldn't believe he had known Dick for so long without seeing his eyes. They were so beautiful and special, and... Now every time he didn't wear his sunglasses around Mount Justice, he was a blushing mess. It really, really, really wasn't fair.

And now was not an exception; Wally could feel himself turning bright red. "W-what is it, Dickie?"

"Are you just doing this to make Artemis jealous?"

"No! Why would I do that?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I mean, you two are always antagonizing each other, always teasing each other..."

"That's because we're friends, not because I like her or anything like that! Gross!"

Dick gave him a look. "Uh huh. Okay."

"So..." Wally glanced around the room. "Will you do it?"

"Of course." He smiled. "Besides, I kinda want to see what Bats would do if I decided to date somebody."

"Are you not allowed or something?" Wally slid down next to Dick, on the actual couch. "Can he do that?"

"I mean, I know he frowns upon the idea of me dating, but... Could he stop me?" He waggled his eyebrows. "I doubt it. So... Let's try things out."

"Alright... My wonderful boyfriend." 

Dick wrinkled his nose. "That's just weird, though."

"But the real question is, are you good with pet names?" Wally elbowed him lightly. "'Cause I mean, I love doing those."

"I mean, some. Some of the ones you do..."

"Which ones?"

"Just don't call me sugar plum, and we'll be fine." Dick decided with a sharp nod. "Or like... Any that even you would consider gross."

"Pfft, I've never called anyone sugar plum..." Wally lied, specifically remembering times that he had, in fact, called M'gann sugar plum. "And what do you mean by gross? I don't think anything I've said has really been bad..."

"Baby doll, for one. That's just... Creepy."

"Okay," He took a deep breath. "Maybe I called M'gann sugar plum once or twice, but I've never called anyone baby doll."

"Really?" Dick raised an eyebrow. "Because I feel like you have."

"I have not."

"I really think so..."

"Definitely not!"

"Dude, you so have."

Artemis walked in, flopping fdoen on the empty armchair. "Why are you two bickering like an old married couple now?"

"Trying to figure out what pet names I can call Dickie." Wally answered quickly. "Babe is okay, right?"

He rolled his eyes. "Of course babe is okay. You call me babe already, all the time."

"I do?"

"Yeah." Artemis agreed. "You kind of call everyone babe, or variants of it. Babe, baby, babes, sugar babe-"

"I've never said that." Wally argued, crossing his arms. "That's just weird."

She ignored him. "Baby doll-"

"See! Told you." Dick grinned. "You've definitely called someone baby doll."

Wally opened his mouth to argue, then decided against it. "Well, I'll remember that's one you don't like, honey bunch."

He grimaced. "Did you just call me honey bunch?"

"Yep. And I'm only going to continue calling you awful pet names from this point on, sugar booger."

"Eww," Artemis wrinkled her nose. "No one actually says that."

"Actually, as someone who is from the Midwest-"

"Good lord," She shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Never mind."

"-I have definitely heard that, and worse, sweetums."

"Why are you two calling each other pet names, anyway?"

Dick shrugged, casually putting his arm around Wally. "Because we're dating. You didnt know that?"

Wally could feel his heart seize up in his chest. Dick was too good of an actor; and he was already so dedicated to the part... Shit. Maybe this was a bad idea. His gay little heart couldn't take this.

Artemis blinked. "Really, now?"

"Yep." Wally confirmed, voice cracking. "We are a couple. Have been for a little while now, yeah."

They met eyes.

She squinted. "I don't believe that for a moment."

"Well... That's your choice." He nodded, feeling his face turn red. "And... Never mind, I can't call you sweetie pie, I think I would just die instantaneously."

Dick laughed. "Me too. I think I'll just stick with your normal nicknames, Walls."

"Babe..."

"What? Are pet names that important?"

Wally shook his head. In the corner of his eyes he could already see how irritated Artemis was with this. "Nah, it's all good, sugar."

"Don't call him sugar." Artemis's face puckered up like she had eaten a lemon. "It makes you sound like a middle aged woman working in a restaurant in the Deep South hitting on the younger patrons."  
Dick snorted. "It really does."

"Okay, I guess I'll just stick with babe, then." Wally said, blushing wildly.

"And sugar plum." Dick added. "Which you definitely say."

"...I admitted to that..."

"And baby doll." Artemis added. "Which you have most certainly called me before."

"I never... Fine. Whatever... Sweetheart."

***

Later that night, Wally was alone in his room, thinking. Sure, fake-dating Dick wasn't exactly the best way to go about to go about this, but...

At dinner he kissed him on the cheek, and Wally nearly swooned. They had always been physically close to each other - hell, they grew up together - but for Dick to be affectionate? It was... Odd, since it was new, but Wally didn't mind it one bit. It just felt so right.

And if fake dating him meant getting those little kisses on the cheek, he would do it forever.

"Knock knock." Artemis announced from the other side of the door. "Are you going to let me in, or what?"

"Fine, fine..." Wally rolled his eyes, jumping up to get the door. "It's not like I kept you waiting, or-"

The moment the door was open she stepped inside, closing it again behind her. "Wally, what the fuck?"

"What do you mean..." He swallowed. "Baby doll?"

"You and Dick are pretending to date?" She clarified.  
"No, we're actually dating..."

"You can't lie for shit, Wally."

"Yeah..." He admitted, scratching the back of his neck. "I know..."

"Why?"

"Why not?

She rolled her eyes. "You know that's not what I mean. Why don't you just ask him out for real?"

"Because... Come on, Arty, you know he doesn't like me." Wally shuffled his feet. "And he thinks this is funny, so..."

"So? It's nice for now, but I can tell it's going to hurt you in the long run." Artemis pointed out. "If you just told him you wouldn't have to deal with all this lying and all of the frantic faking it stuff."

"Yeah, but..." He swallowed. "What if it made things awkward between us?"

"Wally." She blinked, putting a hand on his shoulder. "After this long, and this much shit, I'm pretty sure nothing could make you two awkward with each other."

"Really? Because I definitely think things could get really weird really fast."

"Just go for it - you never know what could happen if you just tried it."

"But I already fake asked him out..." Wally reminded. "Maybe I'll just... Play this out a little longer?"

She sighed, shaking her head. "You do that, Wally. Just... Don't take it too far."

"Yeah, I got it."

Artemis raised an eyebrow. "Do you, though?" 

"Yeah, yeah..."

"Okay, now get some actual sleep. We're heading down to the beach again tomorrow, I think."

"Again?"

"I know." Artemis rolled her eyes. "But it's M'gann that wanted to, so... There's no way I'm not going."

Wally grinned. "Got a little bit of a crush, there?"

"Shut up."

"Why don't you ask her out?" He teased. "You know, just go for it?"

"You know what? Good night, Wally."

"Night, baby doll."

***

The next morning, Wally was all ready for the beach, bright and early. Swim trunks and tee shirt on, sunscreen located, and aloe vera already chilling in the fridge. At this point, he had to just be prepared to get sunburned to a crisp.

Artemis and M'gann were already ready, chatting by the zeta tubes. Connor always wore the same thing, so... In the sense that the only think that would change about him was switching to swim trunks, he was ready. Kaldur and Roy were bickering about something on the couch, both shirtless.

Wally felt a little awkward, needing to wear a shirt, but hey, it was better than having his whole back burnt. And like, he definitely wasn't the only trans guy going down to the beach, let alone the only guy in a tee shirt.

Zatanna and Raquel joined them, Raquel in her swimsuit, Zatanna still dressed normally. Well, as normally as she ever dressed; her whole fishnets look wasn't exactly casual. She would just magically change into swimwear whenever she felt like it.

So... That was everyone. Except...

"Where's Dick?"

M'gann shrugged. "He should be out here soon... He knows we were going down to the beach, right?"

"Yep, I told him last night." Connor nodded. "Think he overslept?"

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Probably; that kid's a disaster."

"He's not that bad..." Wally trailed off, glancing at Dick's door. "Should I wake him up?"

"Don't know." She shrugged. "But with you two dating, things'll certainly be interesting."

"Wait." Roy turned around on the couch to face them. "Who's dating?"

"Kid-Idiot and Dickie." Artemis answered, smirking just a little bit. "Have been for a little while now."

"No, you haven't." Raquel stated. "Is this a prank?"

"Nope. We're, uh, dating." Wally stammered out. "Dick and I."

"You're such a bad liar." Roy rolled his eyes. "So, you're fake dating?"

"...maybe?" He whispered, staring down at his feet. "Wow, that really didn't take long for you to figure out."

"No offense, Wally... Lying really isn't your strong suit." M'gann said, walking over to pat him on the shoulder. "Why don't you just ask him out for real?"

Wally froze. "What?" 

"We all know that you have feelings for Dick." Kaldur pointed out. "And my guess is that he reciprocates."

"Meaning..."

Artemis ruffles his hair. "He likes you back, dummy."

"No, he-"

"Whatcha guys talking about?" Dick asked, finally emerging from his room.

And of course, all he was wearing was a tiny, green scale patterned speedo. Wally could feel his whole body blush, practically. How was he supposed to keep his cool with this?

How was he supposed to be affectionate with him dressed like this? 

"N-nothing." He finally stuttered out, fiddling with the bottle of sunscreen in his hands. "You all, uhh... Ready to go?"

"Yep." Dick smiled, walking right over and pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Ready to go, babe."

Wally just about swooned right there.

"You okay, Walls?" 

"Yeah." He swallowed. "All good... Babe."

This was going to be a long day at the beach, he could already tell.

***

Wally wasn't going to survive another minute. For one, it was hot out - so hot that it didn't take long for him to retreat under an umbrella. Being a ginger was no joke in this kind of weather.

But hotter still was Dick, out playing volleyball with Artemis, his wet hair falling in his face and clinging to his tanned skin, body glistening with sweat and seawater. He really had grown up a lot; no longer was the tiny Robin who crawled in air vents and hid up in the rafters.

Well, he was still short, but he certainly didn't look like a kid.

Neither of them did, he supposed, but Wally wasn't about to compare himself to that. Dick was gorgeous, and...

M'gann walked over, sitting down next to him at the picnic bench. "You know, you could go play with him."

"And get burned to death?" Wally scoffed. "Nah, I'm good chilling here, just watching. Got my pineapple juice."

He held up the cup a little bit, taking a good long slurp through the straw.

She raised an eyebrow. "It sounds to me like you're afraid."

"What? Me, afraid?"

"Well..." M'gann shrugged, giving him a look out of the corner of her eye. "Dick can be a little intimidating."

Wally shook his head. "He's been my best friend for years, I'm not scared by him at all."

"Then put on some more sunscreen, and go join him."

"Well..."

She gave him the look again, then sighed. "You know, he probably already knows you like him."

Wally paled. "Really?"

"He is the protege of the world's greatest detective... And he definitely likes you, too."

"You guys keep saying that; I think I would know if- would I know?"

M'gann shook her head. "And right now, it sounds like you have a fake boyfriend to play volleyball with."

He sighed, taking another slurp of pineapple juice. "I mean... Yeah. I'll go for it."

"Great!" She smiled. "And now we can play doubles: me and Artemis, versus you and Dick."

Wally grinned. "Perfect. Hey babe! Mind if we join you?"

Dick's head whipped around to look at them, easily catching the ball even though he wasn't looking. "I mean, if Arty's game."

Artemis was blushing like mad, but she nodded. "Sounds... Just peachy."

"Wonderful!" M'gann clapped. "Boyfriends versus... Girlfriends?"

Wally's nose wrinkled. "That makes it sound like we're dating."

"Gross." Artemis agreed. "But... Sure. Boyfriends versus girlfriends."

***

When they were done, all of them were so coated in sand they had to go down into the water, which quickly turned into a water fight, and by the time the sun was setting Dick and Wally were both thoroughly drenched, sitting down by the surf, just letting the water lap up at their feet.

"For how many times we've done this already this summer... I actually had a great time." Wally noted, glancing over at Dick. "You?"

"Oh yeah. I'm really feeling the aster."

He snorted, elbowing him lightly. "You haven't said that since we were kids."

"Really?" Dick raised a perfect eyebrow, a smirk just pulling at his lips. "'Cause I'm pretty whelmed right now."

I'm overwhelmed, Wally wanted to say, but he held his tongue.

"You're such a dork."

"You are too." He reminded, starting to doodle in the sand with his finger.

Wally leaned over him, trying to see what it was. "Whatcha drawing?"

"Shh, look away." Dick told him, lightly shoving his face. "You can see once I'm done."

"Babe..."

"Just a minute." He leaned over, most likely aiming to kiss Wally's cheek, but getting closer to his neck.

Wally waited in perfect silence after that, his whole head and neck bright red. At some point he stood up to work on it, but Wally stayed sitting down, perfectly still, thoughts racing through his head at top speed.

Yeah, there was no way this fake relationship was lasting more than another day.

"There." Dick finally declared. "You can stand up and look now."

It wasn't a doodle after all, he first noticed. It was words, surrounded in a heart, spelling out...

"Date me for real?" Wally read aloud, totally stunned. "You mean-"

"I mean, at first I thought you liked Artemis, and if you only wanted to do this fake thing for laughs, then-"

"No!" He interrupted, putting his hands on Dick's shoulders. "I'm just- I'm not whelmed. I am so overwhelmed right now. And no, I've never really liked Arty like that."

Dick laughed, leaning in and kissing Wally on the cheek. 

"Does that mean yes?" He whispered right against Wally's skin, giving him goosebumps, a chill running down his spine.

Unable to speak, he nodded, and kissed Dick's cheek back.

"I mean, we could..." And Dick leaned in, holding him close, and kissed him for real.

***

When Wally woke up, he was lying on the beach. "What...?"

"You fainted, dude." Dick was right next to him, ruffling his hair. "I didn't think people swooned in real life, but..."

"...shut up."

"Feeling a little more whelmed, now?"

"Feeling like I ought to give that kiss a second chance."

And they kissed again. And again. And again until Artemis came down to tell them they were heading back to Mount Justice.

And they held hands the rest of the way back.


	5. High School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally got the Wayne Scholarship to attend the prestigious Gotham Academy... And if all the students here are this cute, he won't last another day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Realized, yeah, I've written a lot of Trans-ness and a lot of mentioned homophobia, but if that's not my existence, so... Y'all get to deal with me

Wally West was honestly scared for his life.

You deserve to be here, he tried to remind himself. This'll all turn out great.

...No, it won't. This is going to be bad.

He swallowed, looking up at the massive campus of Gotham Academy. It looked more cathedral than school to him, with its sturdy brownstone, tall towers, and impressive pillars holding up what he could only assume was the architects way of spitting in the face of gravity. No one actually designed buildings like that unless they wanted to show off their fabulous wealth... and disregard for students being able to find their way around. He wouldn't be surprised if the staircases moved.

"I bet their science program is really good, though." Wally reassured himself, but it didn't really work. "Much better than in Blue Hills."

They would actually have the funding for a good science program; that was why. Most kids here weren't on Wayne Foundation scholarships; they were here because their parents were filthy rich and they didn't know how to deal with them, so they got sent off to a fancy boarding school in the city.

But this was where he was going to be living, too, even if he didn't fit the description. His parents weren't poor, but money was definitely tight. Without the full ride scholarship? He'd never be here. He'd never even dream of being here.

But, no matter how he ended up at this school, he would never find his way around here. Technically, he did have a map... And by technically, he meant he had a map he brought from home printed near illegibly on a normal sheet of printer paper. So he had no clue where he should be going. At all.

"At least you're a couple days early." He pointed out to himself. "Time to figure out the-"

"Trying to figure out where something is?" Someone interrupted his thoughts, stopping directly in front of him.

And Wally's molecules nearly vibrated on the spot. This guy was adorable. His hair was jet black, fluffy and wavy and just long enough to be curling up over his ears. His eyes were dark, but they seemed to sparkle somehow, despite the cloudy whether. The artist in him immediately picked apart his features; his wide nose, full lips and dazzling smile. His bone structure, while still obviously not fully grown into, was already chiseled, but dainty somehow. Defined. He wanted to draw him, immediately.

Also, miraculously, he managed to make the school uniform look good. It was probably tailored, come to think of it. 

Suddenly embarrassed about his own state of disarray, Wally nodded. "Yeah, I'm new, I guess?"

"One of the new Wayne programs?" The guy guessed, looking him up and down. "Oh, and I'm Dick, by the way."

"Wally. Wally West." He smiled, but still felt vastly inadequate in his baggy slacks and self-cut hair. "Do you happen to know where East Wing is? I'm supposed to find my room there."

"Oh, sure." Dick nodded, giving him another once-over. "I'll show you, come on."

If he was in this guys presence another second, he swore he would burst into flames. In a good way. He felt like he was going to combust.

"You don't need to-"

He waved him off. "I don't mind showing you around. I'm just as stuck here as you are; I just know my way around."

"True." Wally shrugged, looking down at his feet... Or anywhere but at him. "I guess I didn't think this place would be so..."

"Huge?" Dick guessed. "Antique? Castle-like?"

"It does feel a little bit like a dungeon, now that I'm here in person. Somehow, the pictures looked a lot... nicer? Not like it's not nice-nice, like... Kinder?"

He laughed. "And that'll only get worse the longer school goes on."

Wally swallowed. "Is it that bad?"

"Well..." Dick slowed down a little bit, voice trailing off. "I'd like to start this off by first saying that I'm bi, and I'm not trying to be rude, but... You're gay, aren't you?"

Alarm bells rang in his head. Flashing lights, adrenaline rushing. All of the blood in his body came up into his face and neck, turning him bright red.

Was he that obvious, or did this guy just have serious gaydar? 

Was gaydar a real thing?

"Y-yeah?"

He nodded, still walking slow. "I guessed. It's not obvious; takes one to know one, after all."

Nervously, Wally nodded back. "Y-yeah..."

"No one's really bad." Dick corrected, glancing down at the pavement. "They just ignore you a little bit, if they know."

"Oh. Yeah." 

That was a whole lot better than Blue Hills. Everyone there was... Actually, maybe this place wouldn't be so bad. And his chest had stopped feeling like a full blown heart attack, more like a minor arrhythmia, so they were probably good? Maybe he could adjust to having a friend this hot.

Emphasis on maybe.

"So, Walls, where are you from?"

The nickname made his heart flutter worse, though. "Blue Hills, Nebraska."

Dick blinked. "Never heard of it."

"Be glad." Wally adjusted his grip on his suitcase. "It's a little town, not very many people and even fewer nice ones."

"That sounds awful."

"Not too bad." He added quickly. "It just sucked... That's all. Every where's got its problems."

"Gotham especially."

He chuckled. "If half of what I've heard on the news is true, definitely."

Dick snorted. "Double what you hear on the news, honestly. And here's the entrance to the East Wing, just up this staircase here."

Wally shuddered. "Is everything up a staircase?"

"Basically. Come on, I can help you with your suitcase."

"No, I got it." He insisted, collapsing the taller handle so he could grab it better. "It's kinda heavy, anyway."

Super speed came with its perks, after all: just being a little stronger in general. And besides, Wally may be thin, but he was just tiny.

Dick shrugged. "I'm stronger than I look, but go on ahead, if you want. It's a long way up, though."

And he really wasn't exaggerating. A long way up ended up being close to three floors, all in a winding staircase, carrying a suitcase and a backpack. Wally wasn't winded, and his speedster legs were way too strong to be tired, but he had the sense that if his connection to the speedforce wasn't working right, well... It'd be rough.

"Alright, which room are you in?" Dick asked when they reached the top of the stairs. "Or do you know?"

"I know. I'm in..." Wally reached into his pocket, pulling out the map; on the back he wrote his room number. "East wing, 34."

He winced. "Alright."

"What? Is there something wrong with it?"

"No." Dick shook his head. "Not technically, but... They haven't housed any students in there for a few years."

Wally was really, really starting to fear for his life, no matter how calm and at home Dick looked.

"Why?"

"Don't really know." He shrugged, trying to play it off. "Anyway, you've got the key?"

"Yep, picked it up from the office, if I can..." 

Digging around in his pockets, Wally awkwardly looked for the key. Dick, to his credit, waited patiently, but it only made Wally more embarrassed.

"There! Found it." Wally unlocked the door, pushing it open. "So..."

It was, in a word, creepy. The floorboards were old, creaky wood. The wallpaper looked antique. The electricity looked like it had been added much later, so all the fixtures seemed a bit... Off. 

Not nearly as off as the simple bunk bed shoved in the corner.

"Yep, welcome to your home for the next few months." Dick announced, making a grand sweeping gesture at the room. "Hey, you even have long, drape-y curtains that'll look like a ghost in the middle of the night."

Yeah, this was going to suck. Other than Dick being here, nothing seemed great. Though, if he didn't have to live here, he'd definitely want to explore.

"...cool."

"Need a moment to yourself to adjust?" He asked in a softer voice. 

Wally nodded, a lump of fear forming in his throat. "Yeah. Yes... Yes, please."

"Okay." Dick nodded, stepping backwards ever so gracefully to the door. "Wait, do you have a phone?"

"Uh, I've got a flip phone?"

He raised an eyebrow. "That'll work. Let me give you my number, so you have someone to call for when you get lost."

Wally's eyes went wide. "When?"

"Don't worry about it." Dick waved it off. "Everyone does; just stay calm, okay? And don't move too fast if the floor seems a little shaky."

Don't move too fast. That was something Wally was great at... Not.

"Okay, that sounds... Solid. Unlike the floor."

He snorted a laugh.

They exchanged numbers, though, Wally blushing the whole time. But Dick left, shutting the heavy door behind him, leaving him in the haunted room.

Maybe it would seem less creepy with a roommate, but... Wally's bets were on this still being a terrifying experience.

Not to mention how cute Dick was. If all the students here were as graceful and cool and sweet and smart as he was... Wally wouldn't stand a chance.

***

For how scary the building was, classes were surprisingly normal, just... Better taught than back home in Blue Hills. It almost seemed like some of the teachers cared... At least a little bit.

But, of course, Wally still found himself doodling. It was easier to listen that way, to remember all of it. The only problem was, the more people he drew, the more he noticed they all looked the same.

Each one had curly black hair, or sparkling dark blue eyes, or a wide nose, or those perfectly full lips with the gorgeous curve to his cupid's bow...

Wally swallowed, going back to listening. Thinking about Dick like this was dangerous; the last thing he wanted was for someone to call him out for daydreaming... or recognize his doodles.

***

And of course, his roommate had to be scarier than the building itself. Well, that wasn't true. She was nice enough, but... Just a little freaky. Like, seriously, he knew they had to wear school uniforms, and that sucked, but she wore fishnets under her skirt all the time.

Who did that?

And, to be honest, with some of the books she would be reading, or some if the stuff she would say, Wally wondered if she was an actual, legit witch. Which, if he was going to any other school he wouldn't even consider, but...

This was Gotham, and as far as he was concerned, anything could happen.

Besides, that gave him the wonderful opportunity to spend his extra time with Dick in his room. Most of the time, though, that just meant doing homework.

Or pretending to do homework while Dick actually did it. Wally finished with his ages ago; super speed had its perks.

"Do you know what the hell she meant for number thirteen?" Dick asked, frowning down at his lit homework. "That's not even phrased like a question."

"Uh..." Wally flipped through his papers to find it. "This is what I wrote, but I kinda might have bullshitted most of it."

"Okay... Ooh! What's this? I didn't know you were such an artist."

Of course he had to have drawn on that page. Of course.

Wally turned bright red. "I mean... I doodle..."

And it had to be a doodle of Dick himself. Of course.

"This is really good." Dick said, looking closely at the drawing. "And really realistic, too."

"I wanted to be a police sketch artist, for a while... Got really good at faces like that."

"I'll bet." He turned, giving Wally his perfect sparkling grin. "Is it me?"

"No, why would you say that? Of course it's not... Yeah, of course it's you."

Dick scooted a little closer to him. "Why did you say 'of course' it's me?"

"Because, uh..." Wally's whole body had to blushing at this point. "I mean, I meant something closer to 'obviously,' but I forgot the word."

"Oh." He scooted back, sounding more than a little disappointed. "Okay, back to homework... Your answer makes less sense than the question."

"Should we just go find her and ask her?"

Dick frowned. "Probably."

***

The teacher was unhelpful, as always. Mrs. Edmunds just have a cryptic, "Read the question over again" and that was that. So, defeated, they trudged back up toward Dick's room.

"So, what could it mean..." Dick pondered, holding up the homework sheet in front of him. "Maybe the nonsense question requires a nonsense answer?"

"If that's true, I'm getting an A, easy." Wally snorted. "I wonder if it's like, a joke or something? Like, she just wants to see what all of us will do?"

"Hmm," He shook his head. "That would be strange... But maybe not beyond her, I've heard weird things."

"So..."

"So..." Dick copied with a devilish smirk.

Damn. Did he have to be so cute? Wally as going to have to memorize that smirk, to draw it over and over so he'd never miss it when he had to go back home to Nebraska.

He didn't want to think about going home. He just wanted to enjoy things here. 

Enjoy things here? Man, his outlook changed.

"Let's just get back up to your room..." Wally shrugged, picking up the pace. "Does it have to be so many stairs all over the place?"

"I think it's an attempt to keep the boys wing and the girls wing separate?" He guessed. "But I'm not really one hundred percent sure."

And now Wally knew he was staying in the girls wing. It's what he should have expected, with his mom hovering over his shoulder as he applied, but... That sucked. 

Come to think of it, yeah, there were only girls in that hall. How did he not realize that sooner?

"Yeah, probably." Wally agreed, coming up on the door and trying the handle. "Locked. You got the key?"

Dick's eyes went wide, patting down his pockets. "Nope."

"Is your roommate inside?"

"He's at tennis practice." He explained. "So basically... We're fucked."

"We could... Go to my room?"

"My homework's in there, though." Dick pointed out. "So... Wait. Unless..."

He got a devious look on his face, looking the door up and down.

"What are you thinking, Dickie?" He asked, suddenly getting a bit nervous. "I don't really think you could pick these locks; they're pretty old and wonky."

"I'm not going to try to pick the lock." Dick assured him, but it was little comfort. "We left the window open, right?"

"Yeah, it was super stuffy in there, and-" Wally froze, all the parts suddenly clicking. "You're going to break in through the window."

"Nope." He grinned. "We are going to break in through the window."

That sounded like a bad idea, but... "Sweet! We're just going to climb that tree, right? I mean, that's basically it."

"Almost." Dick corrected. "The trees sturdy, weight-baring branches don't quite reach my window. Which means... We might have to shimmy along the ledge."

Wally swallowed. "That's definitely a bad idea."

It was a good thing, then, that in case Dick fell, Wally could save him with his super speed. And if Wally fell- he wouldn't fall. He'd stay on just fine.

"Alright. Let's go."

***

Wally kept drawing the way Dick swung in through the window for days. It was just so graceful and perfect and... Dick had told him, afterward, that he was a gymnast. Quieter, softer, he admitted that he had been a trapeze artist, once.

Wally didn't push that for more information; he just kept drawing those sweeping movements, that practiced grace and awareness of his body.

He himself had flailed himself in, basically. Effective, but something that left Dick laughing on the floor for a good five minutes.

That laughing face, the perfect way his eyes scrunched... Wally drew that, too.

***

It only took a few weeks for absolute chaos to break out in Gotham. Poison Ivy had teamed up with Man Bat and Killer Moth, which didn't sound that dangerous at first glance, but... Everything was shut down in the city, roads were inoperable, Batman and Robin really looked like they had their hands full...

Wally had promised Uncle Barry he wouldn't be Kid Flash in this city without him unless things got really desperate, but this looked pretty desperate. So, donning the costume, he raced off into the night to find the caped crusaders.

Who even called them that, anyway?

***

After that encounter, Wally was stuck with Robin on the brain. His grace, his poise, the cute way his face scrunched up when he was thinking really hard about something...

He drew him, over and over. With the mask, what he imagined he would look like without the mask... Everything.

Moving here really had him drawing a lot, Wally thought to himself as he flipped through the pages of his school work. Dick, Robin, and-

Wait a second.

Wally flipped back and forth between the drawings of the two of them, startled at the similarities. They had the same nose, the same face and chin, the same perfectly shaped lips that made him just want to kiss him every time he looked-

And without the mask, their eyes were the same. It all fit. It had to.

But now what? It was the weekend, and that meant Dick was spending time at home. So...

This would just have to wait for when he got back.

***

It was Monday afternoon, after normal school was over when Dick and Wally were lounging in Dick's room, that he decided to bring it up.

"So... Robin, huh?"

He looked up from his schoolwork with a grin. "You bet, Kid Flash. What gave me away?"

"You look... The same?"

Dick laughed. "I mean, can't exactly change my face, Walls."

Wally blushed. "No, I... I noticed when I was drawing you. And Robin. And I compared them, so... They looked the same."

He nodded. "Makes sense."

"What gave me away?"

"Everything." Dick shrugged. Your voice, your laugh, your smile, your cute little freckles-"

Wally blushed.

"-the fact you cut your own hair, the awkward way you stand... All of it."

"You think my freckles are cute?" 

"I think all of you is cute." He admitted, scooting a little closer. "I mean, I can't draw like you can, but... That doesn't mean your face isn't on my mind."

Wally blushed deeper. "So, does that mean...?"

"I like you, idiot." Dick laughed. "I like you a lot."

"Me too." He exhaled. "I mean, I like you, not me. I like you a lot. Yeah."

That just made him laugh harder, pressing a kiss to Wally's cheek.


	6. Roommates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick decides to 'momentarily attend' Gotham University to get some important information from one of the students. Along the way, though... He ends up rooming with Wally West.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I'm late, but honey I'm just trying to survive

Going undercover in a college campus really wasn't Dick's idea of fun. In fact, there were a lot of things he would rather be doing. Fighting Killer Croc, for instance. Or going to the dentist. Or even directing traffic. Most things he could be doing right now, at the moment, he would rather be doing than this.... But what needed to be done for the job needed to be done, and he had to be professional about this, so Gotham University, here he came.

It was a simple case, at least. He shouldn't be here with his undeclared major and wushu-washy aspirations more than a week before he 'dropped out.' But, until then...

He was going to have to stay in the dorms to be closer to the target. Which meant he would be getting a roommate. Shit.

Once more, Dick looked over the information he had been sent. His randomly assigned roommate was another freshman, Wally West, who he knew nothing about, other than the name. So, curious, he decided to look him up.

Trying to stalk your potential roommate before only sharing a room with them for a week or two wasn't too weird, right?

But, as it appeared, the guy wasn't keen n social media.

Facebook: nothing.

Instagram: no one that could be in college. There was one high schooler, a Wallace West, but he was clearly way too young.

Twitter: there was an account there, but only a couple tweets, and both of them were just retweets from the same guy about new methods of forensic anthropology currently being tested. 

Strange. So, either Dick found him, or he found... Someone. He guessed he would figure it out, either way.

High school looking kid, or forensic science buff. Only time will tell, right?

He just hoped that, unlike in most of Bruce's old stories, he wouldn't have to arrest his roommate. That got tricky, and... That was just something he really did not want to have to deal with. 

And that he wouldn't be nosy and follow him...

***

Wally West didn't show for the first two days he was there. Sure, he was only at the college early for new student orientation, and to scope out his target who arrived almost a week early, but the suspense was just about killing him. At this point, he just wanted the guy to get here as soon as possible.

Why was he looking forward to this so much, though? He just needed to get in, get the information from the target, and get out, right? But instead he was sitting here, waiting for his roommate to get here, as if he was a real college student.

Did he want to be a real college student?

That was a question for another time, though, because the sound of someone unlocking the door had Dick immediately on his feet.

He had been waiting for Wally to show up for so long, but... Did he actually have to show up when Dick looked like shit? Because this guy was really cute, and now he was just standing here, dumbstruck.

To start, he was tall. At least six foot, probably over, and as much as he denied his friend's insistence that he had a thing for redheads... His curly red hair was absolutely adorable. Green eyes, a smattering of freckles, and a crooked smile... And his outfit. Running shorts, a lime green fanny pack with a pin on it, Flash symbol tank top and a Hawaiian shirt unbuttoned overtop.

A little bit of an eyesore, but... From the Flash logo socks peeking up over his sneakers to the fact that he probably cut his own hair, he was adorable.

This was so not fair.

"Hey, uh... I'm guessing you're Dick?"

He swallowed, nodding, trying desperately to seem like he wasn't just checking him out. "Yeah... You're Wally?"

"Yup. So... Roomies?"

"Yeah." Dick took a step back, letting him into the dorm. "Sorry, I just woke up a little bit ago."

"Oh no! Did I wake you up? Sorry about that, it's like... Wait." Wally frowned. "It's two o'clock."

"...yeah. Yeah, it is."

"I feel that." He grinned. "So... Not much of a morning person, huh?"

"Not at all." Dick admitted. "Speaking of which: I'm usually going to be out late, just a warning."

"I'm not." Wally grinned, but then frowned, not in a judging way, but it almost looked... Concerned? "Just be safe, you know? And I seriously doubt you'll wake me up coming home; I sleep like a light."

He raised an eyebrow. "You sleep... Like a light?"

"Out like a light. Sleep like a log... I'm a little bit of a dumbass."

"I'm sure you're not really."

"Oh, I really am." Wally argued, smiling and cheerfully nodding. "I am a stupid bitch, and I'm good with that."

Dick laughed, feeling himself blush a little bit. "What's your major?"

"Well..." He shrugged. "It's complicated."

"Does that mean undecided? 'Cause don't worry, that's where I am too."

Not really a lie? He was undecided.

Wally shook his head. "No, the problem is that this school doesn't actually have the program I want, but they have the classes for it, so I'm taking the classes and I'm the only one graduating from that 'program.'"

"So... What is it?"

"Temporal Astrophysics." He stated, as if that was simple. "The time meaning of temporal, not space. No, I don't know shit about space."

Dick, trained by Batman, raised in an... Interesting education environment to the point where he probably had a college level education by this point, at eighteen, didn't know that first thing about any of that. The Flash went on and on about the speedforce's relationship to time and space and the multiverse once in a while, but he tended to tune out. 

Funny, that he had so much Flash stuff, then. It was sounding more and more like this was going to be an interesting stretch of time. Maybe he was looking forward to the roommate thing for a reason.

Or maybe, after moving out of Bruce's house, he was just lonely.

"You are definitely not a dumbass if you're studying something that complicated." Dick told him, wandering back over and sitting in his own bed. "That sounds very interesting... And like a huge headache."

Wally blushed. "It's not that difficult... It's only when the multiverse theory gets involved that it really gets tricky."

"And... That's when you'd totally lose me."

He laughed. "I'm sure you wouldn't; I only understand it so well because I have an uncle who's interested in this kind of stuff."

"That's cool." Dick said, if mostly just to encourage Wally to keep talking.

His voice was very interesting, and absolutely adorable. There was a high pitched quality to it, if not in the pitch itself than in the flamboyant lilt he put on his words. That, along with the speed at which he talked, the expressive little faces he made...

Maybe Dick was just hooked, but he could listen for hours. Shit, was he developing a crush?

Did adults say crush?

"Yeah... He's a forensic scientist. Or, CSI, as he prefers." Wally smiled, rolling his eyes. "They both kinda feel the same, but he feels like CSI is so much more polished, for some reason. But he's all the way back in Central, and now we're here in Gotham... Yeah."

"You're from Central, huh?" He grinned. "How's the city of crime treating you so far."

"Well, not exactly from Central, I'm from rural Nebraska really, but... Gotham hasn't been that bad so far. Then again, I run everywhere, and I don't carry anything worth stealing."

Dick blinked. "You... Run everywhere?"

Flash association was getting a little bit... Too much. Then again, Flash's never were good at keeping secrets. What was Barry's nephew's name, again?

Wally nodded. "It's a little crazy, but not so bad. I'm guessing, based on how you said that, you're from Gotham?"

"You guessed right." He yawned. "Seriously, is it already two?"

"Yep. Two o'clock. Closer to two thirty by now, actually."

"Wild..." Dick sighed, checking his phone.

Three messages from Oracle. Shit. That meant he was probably already supposed to be tracking the target.

"Well, I ought to leave you to get settled. See you around, Wally."

"See ya, Dickie-bird."

The nickname was weird as hell, but... As he left the dorm, Dick had to admit he was blushing again and again every time he thought about it.

***

This mission just kept dragging on longer and longer. How Dick knew it had gone too far? He was actually taking meetings with the school guidance counselor seriously.

Maybe he did want to go to college? He hadn't quite figured that part out, but being in the program set up to become a social worker did just feel right... And he wouldn't be able to be a young adult living partially off of his rich almost-father forever.

And Wally... He just got more interesting by the minute. The guy was a genius when it came to math and science, absolutely brilliant. Dick, just to keep up his image of not being super smart (and, if he was honest, to talk to Wally), would ask him for help on homework and things in those kinds of classes, and he'd get it every time.

But he also cooked hot dogs in the coffee machine, ate literally anything someone else didn't want, and did anything he was dared to, no matter how stupid. His friends were bonkers, to say the least, and his taste in clothing... Well, it definitely didn't stop with the wacky look he showed up in. Every outfit seemed to need at least two layers, something of a strange or loud print, some item of Flash merchandise... And always his he/him pronoun pin stuck on somewhere.

Dick loved that. He loved that he was smart, but such a dumbass.

But, as cute as he was and as wonderful as every moment with him was... This mission really was dragging on. Within the next week. He swore it would be over within the week.

At least, it had better be. He didn't know how much more of this his gay heart could take.

***

The information was inside the targets dorm room, on his computer, and he was currently out at a raucous party thrown by one of the crazier local frats. This was the perfect time to get in, get the intel, and get out. Though, he had to admit... He wasn't looking forward to his time here being over.

But that was besides the point. Picking the lock on these dorm room windows was easy. He had already done it before (though, admittedly, that was when he forgot his key inside before going down the hall to use the bathroom...), which made it even easier to sneak in, and-

He could hear shuffling footsteps. Someone repeatedly tapping on a hard surface.

Someone was in the dorm.

No one should have been in here. All the lights were off, he specifically made sure he and his roommate were gone... 

So who was here?

Whole body on edge, quietly as he could, Dick crept through the dorm. He was second-guessing his choice to be in full Nightwing costume, now, in case he was caught... He wouldn't be caught, that was crazy talk.

And if he was, wouldn't it be more conspicuous to just be another student?

Anyway. This was one of the larger dorms, with two bedrooms, an adjoined living space, and a shared bathroom. More places for someone to hide. But the noises were coming from the targets bedroom, where his computer was supposed to be located.

Dick peered around the doorway, and-

Immediately he got a flashlight shone directly at his face. "Who are you, and what are you doing in here!?"

For a moment he was stunned, but that voice was too familiar. "Wally?"

"And how do you know my name?" Wally demanded, still shining the light at him. 

Shit. He did not have a good answer to that. So instead he did the second best thing: ducked out, around, and stole the flashlight before Wally had a chance to respond. But, when he pointed it at him...

"You're... The Flash."

Yeah, that tracked. Honestly, he wasn't even surprised. Probably Barry's nephew; explained the uncle in Central City.

"Yeah. Doing good, justice kinds of things here." He explained.

They were probably here for the same thing, too. Sighing, Dick flipped off the flashlight and flicked on the lights.

"Nightwing!?" Wally exclaimed, eyes wide. "I mean... That explains what you're doing here. So... How did you know my secret- never mind, associated with Batman and all. Let's just get this finished, right?"

He nodded. "Let's go."

"But seriously, how did you know my secret identity?" 

Dick turned and looked at him, mouth twisting into a smirk. "Associated with Batman and all. Duh. Now, how far along are you in the download?"

***

After that, Wally's attempts to hide the fact he was the Flash were even more laughable. From the time discrepancies in his stories to disappearing at opportune times, it was almost painful.

One day he would tell him the truth about himself. But right now...

"Hey, Walls?"

"Hrmm?" Wally perked up from his spot lounged on his bed, mouth full of food.

"I... Have something to tell you." Dick scooted to the edge of his bed, looking him in the eye.

He swallowed, yanking himself up into a sitting position. "What is it, Babes?"

Oh, and he had started to call him that. Dick couldn't help but blush.

"I know you're the Flash."

Wally's shoulders slumped a little bit. "What gave it away?"

"Dude," He chuckled, a montage of things racing through his head. "You are not good at keeping secrets."

"Yeah... That's fair. Wait, I've got something to tell you too, since we're admitting things."

Dick raised an eyebrow. "What is it, Walls?"

"Well, I'll never end up telling you if I don't just do it, but it's hard to tell you, so I'll just go for it... I've got a massive crush on you."

He could feel himself turning scarlet. His heart skipped a beat. "You-!"

"I mean, now that I've told you I realize that this could get really awkward, or that our casual roommate thing could go out the window, or whatever, but... Eh, what the hell?" Wally waved it off. "Yeah, I thought you were really hot when I first met you, but it turns out I was wrong: you're adorable and a dork and really super funny, and... Yeah."

"I..." Dick swallowed. "Do adults say that they have crushes?"

He shrugged. "Dude, we're like, eighteen. We're barely adults."

"Well then, I have a crush on you too, Wally."

"What!?" Wally sat straight up, eyes wide, has dropped. "You do?"

Dick couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, you're, I mean... I don't have a huge speech or anything like you, but... You're really cute. And really smart. And such a dumbass."

He snorted. "I told you that I'm a dumbass."

"Shut up."

"Wait."

"What?" Dick raised an eyebrow. "What is it, Walls?"

Wally grinned. "And we were roommates."

He sighed, shaking his head in defeat. "Oh my god, we were roommates."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last couple of lines are a reference to a vine (short video) where a person walks past, speaking on the phone, and says:
> 
> "And they were roommates."
> 
> Whereupon the camera person turns the view onto themself, saying: "Oh my god, they were roommates."


	7. Soulmates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trip through time documenting the progression of Dick and Wally's Hanahaki Disease.
> 
> (Happy ending)

Eleven.

Dick started to notice the pain in his chest only a few months after meeting the other members of his soon-to-be kids superhero team. 

...Well, whether or not that would actually come together was still a question, but he had faith it would.

He liked to be optimistic about things like that.

Maybe it was faith, maybe he just had wishful thinking, or maybe it was optimism... But the real truth was that Kid Flash had caught his eye immediately, and he wasn't taking 'no' to this team for an answer. He was tall and cute, with a mess of red curls all falling into his face and a tendency to talk too fast when he got excited. 

He didn't think much of the pain; maybe Donna just hugged him too tightly. She was really strong, after all. He liked her a lot too; and Roy, and Garth. They all seemed really cool. And, for once, he would get to be at least a little bit more honest with people his age. 

He wanted that. And... He really wanted to get closer to Kid Flash.

***

When Wally's chest started to hurt he thought it was just growth pains. His chest was still tiny, but that didn't stop him from crying about 'becoming a woman' to Aunt Iris anyway. A large chest would show with his costume; it was practically skin-tight.

And with the new team about to form, this time with other superhero kids like him, he didn't want to mess this up. They all seemed too cool.

Especially Robin... He really wanted Robin to be his friend. Whether the team happened or not, he was making sure he got to hang out with him. Every time he thought about him it made his heart flutter, his fingers buzz and vibrate with excitement.

***

Twelve.

Wally still blamed the pain in his chest on growth, especially since his worst fears seemed to be coming true. He didn't tell Aunt Iris or Uncle Barry about the binder he managed to buy online with a gift card, he just wore it with his costume anyway. If Aunt Iris knew she would definitely stop him; you weren't supposed to exercise in one, let alone run faster than the speed of sound.

But... That kept the team from noticing, and it was well worth it, even if his ribs ached a little. It was nice, to have a place that he just belonged like that. It was comfortable. Safe.

And Robin... Robin was his best friend. They were so close, they were inseparable. He couldn't risk Rob finding out something so embarrassing about himself. What if he didn't think he was cool anymore?

No, he never thought he was cool. But what if he didn't think he was cool enough to hang out around?

***

The pain had gotten only a little worse, and Dick managed to ignore it most of the time. A couple of painkillers and he was absolutely fine.

What he couldn't ignore, though, were his feelings for Kid Flash. At first he just liked him because he was so cute, and so funny, but now... He was sweet, and caring, and he snored a little bit whenever he fell asleep during team movie nights. And he always fell asleep on team movie nights, with his head resting on Dick's shoulder, or Dick's thigh, or off the couch entirely because it seemed like he could fall asleep anywhere. When he laughed, his whole face turned red sometimes. He always lost Twister, and Mario Kart, but always won Spoons.

How did his heart stand a chance against that?

But KF was probably straight, so he shouldn't even bother. But wishful thinking always won out in the end, and when he fell asleep it was to dreams of holding KF's hand.

***

Thirteen.

Dick knew KF was straight, and it hurt like hell. Even after two years this crush wasn't going away, and he hated it. 

It didn't make any logical sense to like Kid Flash... Or, at least, Batman didn't like him much. He was nervous. Chatty. He wasn't careful on missions. Reckless. All things that made him dangerous on a team, sometimes.

But he was also selfless. Whenever a situation came up where a civilian was in danger, he was there. Never a second thought about his own safety; he just did what needed to be done to make sure the person was out of danger.

And that was part of what drove Dick so crazy. Couldn't he see that people cared? That every time he recklessly threw himself in harm's way it made his chest throb in pain? It was impossible to ignore now, when things happened like that, even if he took pain meds.

So far, though... Everything has been fine. No situation had ended up being too much for him to handle, even if there were a few times that came a little too close to comfort.

He was thirteen when he coughed up his first flower petal. They were thin and purple, just small little things... And yet they brought panic to his whole body.

***

Chest pain wasn't a quote-en-quote "normal" side effect of wearing a binder, at least safely, but Wally was very sure that's what it was. After all, he definitely wore it longer than eight hours a day... And he ran wearing it. So he wasn't really that concerned. 

What he was concerned about, though were the flowers he kept coughing up. They were just tiny things, little purple petals.... But Wally wasn't an idiot: he knew what that meant.

The only weird part was that he couldn't figure out who he was so in love with. He broke down and told Aunt Iris and Uncle Barry, not knowing what else to do. For the time being their game plan wasn't to change anything: he would keep being Kid Flash, they would try to figure out who it was, and if things got bad... They'd see if they could get it removed, possibly.

But that was way far down the line. 

Wally just couldn't let the team down by having a problem like this; those were his best friends. 

But also, on that track: why was having dreams like... 'that' about his best friends?

Well, it was only Robin. Never anything sexual, but... They would be kissing, or cuddling, or he would be ruffling his perfect hair...

What they meant, he had no idea. But what Wally did know was that it made things a little... Awkward between them, to say the least. He didn't want things to change between them, but...

He wanted that. What was in those dreams. He wanted that so bad.

***

Fourteen.

Wally definitely had a crush on Dick. They knew each other's names, now, and it was all he could do to keep from laughing.

But he loved Dick, as funny as that was to say.

But the flower petals were coming up worse than ever, his chest aching day and night, only made worse by the binder. But nothing could hurt worse than the fact Dick most certainly didn't love him back. He was the pretty boy son of Gotham's favorite socialite. Just because he didn't have a girlfriend right now, didn't mean he wouldn't have one tomorrow.

And he definitely didn't feel that way about Wally.

***

No matter how obvious Dick was, Wally wouldn't get it. He could kiss him on the cheek near constantly, tell him directly that he loved him, he loved him, he loved him... And it would always get the same response:

"Love you too, man."

"Love you too, bro."

Or worse, "I know," along with another odd Star Wars reference. He kept trying and trying.

The Valentine's Day when they were fourteen Dick bought him chocolate, and Wally smiled and laughed... That laugh just made his lungs ache worse, it just made his heart throb painfully in his chest.

The flower petals were larger, now. Pretty purple things, so delicate and lovely, making his throat sore and raw.

Asters. 

They were symbols of love, of trust, and if he trusted one thing right now it was that Wally would never catch on to his feelings. He would die within a few years if the flowers weren't ripped from his body, assuring that he would never fall for Wally again.

But he had already fallen. And he fell hard. 

Saying they were star-crossed would be ridiculous, they were only fourteen and technically anything could happen, but it just fit too neatly.

Aster meant star, after all. Maybe that was a sign that this was looking a little more like a disaster.

***

Fifteen.

Bruce told Dick that he could have the flowers removed when he was fifteen. It wasn't like he had never thought of it, but...

"No." He decided, swallowing. 

His throat was always raw from the flowers, large clumps of petals, little pointed leaves, small buds that seemed to cut off all of his air. He could hide it around the team, but...

The reality had started to set in.

He was dying. And if they didn't operate within the next couple years, the roots could become too entangled in his heart to do anything.

...but he couldn't imagine looking at Wally and feeling anything but indescribable warmth. Accepting it, that Wally may never realize, that he may never love him back... It made him happier.

Dick could accept living like this, right now. 

Because making Wally happy didn't have to be romantic; it could be something as simple as wordplay.

His lungs weren't totally overwhelmed with flowers, after all, and Wally wasn't totally underwhelmed by his attempts to woo him.

They were just whelmed.

He wasn't distraught about the disease taking over his chest, filling him with pain every time he met Wally's bright green eyes. He was just... Traught.

His life wasn't a disaster right now. Everything was good. He was feeling the Aster.

Dick never said them like that, of course, but that's what ran through his head. And Wally laughed, head tipped back, flashing crooked teeth, his face turning red.

And yeah, it hurt. It was a constant hurt, an ache holding him down, starting to make regular things more difficult to do. Patrol hurt more than anything else.

Anything but being with Wally.

***

Wally was pretty sure this crush was going to be the death of him... Literally. 

Dick was too cute. With his deep blue eyes and perfect laugh, the callouses on his hands and the way his ass looked in those scaly green shorts... But also his clever wordplays that made Wally laugh, that made him want to confess everything.

Because he wasn't whelmed. He wasn't traught.

But he was most certainly feeling the Aster. That was the kind of flower they figured out was growing in his chest, with its pretty purple flowers.

Aster meant star, and Dick was certainly born to perform. Whether it was his skills, his looks, his comedy... He was good at everything. No matter what he did, he made Wally's knees weak.

And he made his chest ache. Things were getting bad now, full flower buds coming up now, making him cough and sputter.

But Dick only viewed him as a friend. It pained him every time he said he loved him because if only he understood, if only he got it... But he didn't. He didn't know and he couldn't know.

Wally told him about being trans, though. His binder had gotten so painful in combination with the flowers he was forced to stop wearing it, so... He really had to tell all of them, but none of them minded one bit. And Dick...

He took both of Wally's hands in his, looking deep into his eyes. 

"I'll love you no matter what, Wally."

The words still haunted him, lying in bed, spinning a flower bud in his fingers.

"I'll love you no matter what, Wally."

"I love you, Walls."

"Wally, I love you."

Every time he said it, echoing over and over, his chest just ached worse and worse.

This crush really was going to kill him, one of these days.

***

Sixteen:

It was a hot August evening at Titans HQ. Donna had gone home already, back with Diana. Garth retreated to the ocean much earlier in the day, the heat especially hard on his aquatic skin. Roy was nowhere to be found, and...

And Dick and Wally were out sitting on the roof.

Wally had been the one who suggested it; going out to the roof to watch the sun set in all its gorgeous colors. Their HQ really did have the best view, with the Southern California coastline, the cityscape on the other side, and... And Dick couldn't refuse anything when Wally asked him. Those big eyes, the expectant look; he just couldn't tell him no. 

"Dick, I..." Wally whispered, swallowing hard.

"What is it, Walls?"  
"Nothing." He answered quickly, turning away to cough. "Fine."  
But he didn't sound fine. He sounded awful, like Dick did all the time when he was coughing and wrenching, the full flowers practically sprouting from his lungs. 

"You don't sound fine." Dick stated, gently rubbing circles into his back. "Think you're getting sick?"

"I don't-" He coughed, a horrible, rattling sound. "Get sick."

"Well, obviously you do."

Wally shook his head. "Nope, I'm fine, see? All good."

Dick raised an eyebrow. "You still sound like hell, Walls. Your voice sounds awful."  
"Why thank you." He waggled his eyebrows. "That's what I was going for."

"You're such a goofball."

"You love it."  
Dick's heart seized in his chest. His lungs felt heavy, the flowers feeling like they were working their way up into his mouth. Everything was painful now, no matter what he did. Breathing hurt. Every heartbeat ached.

"Yeah. Yeah I do."

"Love you too, bro." Wally grinned, elbowing him lightly. "This is pretty bromantic, isn't it?"

His heart sunk, growing heavy and overgrown. "Bromantic?"

"Yeah, I-" 

Just like that, Wally was overcome with another coughing fit. Hacking, just awful sounds, and Dick couldn't figure it out, except...

"Wally, are you in love?"

They both fell silent.

"Well... Yeah." He admitted. "But... I don't think he loves me back."

That's why. Dick knew it now: Wally didn't realize he was in love with him because he was looking at someone else.

"That... That's awful."

"Yeah." Wally swallowed, then took a little gasping breath. "And he always seems to be flirting, and it's... It just hurts worse."

"I know how you feel." Dick sighed, the breath in his throat coming out in a rasp. "It's just... I drop hints, but he never seems to get it."

"I'm too scared he'll hate me if I tell him."

"Really?" His eyes widened. "No one could hate you, Wally."

Wally laughed, but it quickly morphed into another fit. "You'd be surprised."  
"Well, I... I could never hate you, Wally."

He smiled, and Dick was taken by the moment. He wished he had Donna's camera so he could capture it: Wally, his hair bright and flaming from the setting sun, his skin glowing golden, every freckle visible, cheeks round and flushed, those lips...

And the purple flower that pushed its way between them. 

Everything went perfectly still.

The flower was round, with a yellow center and thin purple petals that stuck out in every direction. Like a star.

An aster.  
And just like that, Wally's eyes rolled back in his head. His body went slack, falling backward toward the roof.

Dick caught him, cradling him in his arms.  
An aster. The same as his.

He was the one all along. He was in love with him, too.

"No, no, Wally, please wake up." Dick begged, checking his pulse, his air.

Nothing.

He started CPR, just like Bruce taught him, but it was no use. His airway was clogged with flowers, more tumbling from his lips when Dick opened his mouth.

So he did the only think he could do. 

Growing dizzy, black spots in his own vision, Dick leaned down in kissed him softly. And between them, where their lips met, someone wouldn't be able to tell where one's asters began and the others ended.

***

When Wally opened his eyes, he felt sluggish. His body was tired and... Hollow? For the first time in so long, he couldn't feel any pain.

He didn't feel any pain in his chest.

Was he dead?

No. He couldn't be dead; there was a weight above him, something pressing against his lips, and-

Wally opened his eyes, and there was Dick. He was on top of him, mouth to mouth, leaning over him like he might have been doing CPR.  
Then he remembered. Dick told him he could never hate him, and... And that was it. He must have passed out, but he remembered the feeling of someone's lips against his.

Wait. Was Dick okay?

"Dick? Dick, are you alright?" Wally gently moved him as he sat up, trying to avoid jostling as much as possible.

A huge wave of relief washed over him as Dick yawned, slowly sitting back up. He wiped his eyes.

"What's going-" He sucked in a deep breath. "I can breathe."  
"So can I!" Wally grinned wide, the reality suddenly hitting him. "You... You love me too?"

"I told you all the time, didn't I?" Dick pointed out, a smile tugging at his lips. "How did you not know?"

"Uh... I thought it was a European thing?" He shrugged. "You know, just being more affectionate, kissing me all the time..."  
Leaning in, Dick pressed a gentle kiss to his lips, and Wally's whole mind went blank. Never did he imagine this could happen, in all the years of loving him. And he had loved him for years; more years than he realized, at first.

"Well, I love you, Wally West."

He smiled, kissing him back. "And I love you too, Dick Grayson."

And they kissed, just simple and soft, nothing else on Wally's mind... Until Dick pulled away, laughing.

"What is it?"

"Feeling the aster?"

Wally sighed, leaning in and kissing him again. "Yeah. I guess I am."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that was a weird young Justice teen titans mix, but I don't care


	8. Anything Goes!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a casual morning in Dick and Wally's apartment - Wally is on his period, Dick is cooking pancakes, and they're both bickering, per the usual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Midol is a painkiller specifically designed for periods, just as a heads up!

"Dick, I'm dying..." Wally insisted, nuzzling his face into his shoulder. "Help me Obi Wan Kenobi, you're my only ho..."

Yawning, Dick rubbed his eyes. "What is it, Walls? It's like... nine in the morning."

"That's not even early." He pointed out, voice muffled by his sleep shirt. "And the time doesn't matter; I'm dying."

"What from?"

A long silence hovered in the bedroom, Wally nuzzling his face closer. "I... just got my period."

Dick winced. "Already? Isn't it not supposed to be for another... Another week, at least."

Wally stifled a laugh. "I love how you keep better track of it than I do. I have no real clue, babes."

"You've gotta download one of those apps for that, so you don't keep getting caught by surprise."

"I know, but..." He rolled on top of Dick entirely, resting his head on his chest. "They're all so gendered, and being a speedster throws it off, and I don't want to be reminded of it all the time, and, well... Not exactly a discrete thing for a trans guy to have on his phone."

"Mm, true... I'll just have to warn you in advance."

"I guess." Wally yawned, rolling back off of him. "Could you go get the heating pad and the Midol?"

"Can do." 

"I love you so fucking much."

Dick pressed a kiss to his forehead before pushing off the covers and padding over to the kitchen. The heating pad was draped over the back of a chair - he had been using it on a sore muscle the day before - and the Midol, per usual, was pushed to the very back of the cupboard.

It was a little bit strange, the things like that, but it was just how Wally worked. Anything period related had to be hidden, pushed out of the way and forgotten about until the time rolled around again. 

Whether it came from growing up with a lot of shame surrounding it or just being trans, Dick didn't know and he probably would never find out. What he did know, though, was that it was really easy to just go along with it. And by this point he liked to think that he had gotten pretty good at this whole thing. He and Wally had been living together for this long, after all. He was used to all the weird little things that kept them working.

Tossing the heating pad over one shoulder and tucking the Midol under his arm, Dick poured a glass of chocolate milk and brought that back with him to the bedroom.

That was one of the things Wally could stand, after all. He didn't want chocolates in general, or anything special, really, but chocolate milk was a normal enough drink for them to have at the apartment that he didn't mind being brought a glass. It was the normal kind of nice he would tolerate on his period.

Weird, but something Dick could work with. He didn't mind.

And it was Dick's unwritten rule that he made breakfast for them at least the first day. He tried to make that a normal enough thing too, so that it wouldn't just be a reminder, but it felt like the right thing to do. Wally made breakfast for him when he was in pain, so it was just returning the favor.

"Aww, thanks babes." Wally smiled, gratefully accepting everything he had brought in.

Near instantly the heating pad was turned on and pressed against his stomach, he had taken a couple Midol, and the glass of chocolate milk was empty.

"And I'm making pancakes," Dick declared. "I'm guessing you want some?"

"Do you even need to ask?" He grinned, pushing off the covers. "And I can help; I'm not totally useless... Ow, fuck."

"What is it?"

"Just cramps." Wally swallowed, pressing his eyes shut as he held the heating pad a little tighter. "I'm fine."

"You sure? You don't sound fine." Dick pointed out, pushing Wally's hair out of his eyes. "It's totally okay if you just stay here, you know."

"But... I don't want to."

"That is also fine." He shrugged. "But a shower might also make you feel better."

Wally shook his head, pulling himself up to his feet. "I don't feel so bad that I'm not going to sit on the counter and watch while my boyfriend makes pancakes."

Dick laughed. "Is that what you mean by help?"

"Oh, and eat the batter." He grinned. "Come on, let's pancake, dude."

They both wandered back into the kitchen, Dick stashing the Midol back in the cabinet - but this time a little closer to the front, since he was probably going to need it again in a few hours - and Wally washing out his cup. Then, Dick got started on the pancakes. 

It had started out as one of the few foods he really knew how to make. On lazy evenings, when Alfred had the day off and Bruce was just going to survive on leftovers and coffee, Dick had wanted to be able to cook something, at least. Then it became a tradition for the Titans to have a big breakfast together every month, if they could, and he would make the pancakes because he already knew how.

And when he started to try to impress, Wally, well... Food seemed to be one of the easier routes to take. Learning how to cook was an important life skill, yeah, but his motivation for learning? Definitely had red hair and a voracious appetite.

"Normal, or banana?" Dick asked, pulling out his recipe book. "We still have a couple bananas, after all."

"Banana sounds amazing." Wally decided, climbing up onto his spot on the counter. "And besides, they're getting a little old, anyway. If it wasn't pancakes today it'd be banana bread in a couple more days."

"How did that happen?" He raised an eyebrow, looking over his shoulder to smirk at at him. "Food never gets anywhere close to old in this house."

Wally nudged him with his foot. "Except your nasty cereal."

"I still can't believe, out of everything you could dislike food-wise in this world, that you hate Cinnamon Toast Crunch."

He shuddered. "It makes the milk all sandy."

"So does most cereal!" Dick reminded him, measuring out the flour. "It all kinda does that."

"Emphasis on 'kinda,' though." Wally argued, then doubled over, grasping the heating pad tightly to his stomach. "Shit. Fuck, why does it have to hurt so bad?"

"Want me to kiss it and make it all better?"

He blushed. "I mean, if you thought that it would help. I'll try anything at this point."

"Anything?" Dick smirked raised an eyebrow.

"I did tell you that I'm dying."

"Even Cinnamon Toast Crunch?"

Wally's face soured, pretending to gag. "Almost anything."

He laughed. "Wait, let me look it up, hold on..."

Dick whipped out his phone, typing:

"Cinnamon Toast Crunch had been linked to pain relief in recent Harvard study."

Into notes, then holding it up to Wally.

"See?"

Wally sighed, shaking his head. "You're hopeless, Dickie."

"Hopelessly in love with you."

Immediately he blushed, one hand coming up to cover his face. "Since when have you been romantic?"

"Since right now." Dick declared, coming right up to him, tipping his head up to face him.

Wally was already so much taller than him, and sitting on the counter? It was even more so. Still... He didn't mind.

He leaned down, softly brushing Dick's messy hair out of the way and kissing his forehead. "I love you too... Now let's actually make pancakes, I'm starving."

Dick laughed. "Alright, alright..."

Still blushing from the kiss, he got to work actually making the pancakes. It was a simple recipe, and the bananas weren't actually as soft as he initially thought they would be, which was good. Wally would eat anything Dick made and he'd never complain about it, but that was no excuse to fuck it up.

But that just reminded him of that one time...

"Hey, Walls, remember those cookies I made that one time?"

"Which ones? The actually really good vegan ones you made that one time, or-"

"Back when we were kids." He clarified. "The burned ones?"

Wally nearly choked, face blanching. "They weren't... That bad."

"They were straight up charcoal, and you know it." Dick stated, narrowing his eyes. "You can't possibly think they were fine."

"Nah, they were alright"

"Wally. Babe. Sweetie. Honey. You awful bastard." He buttered the pan, pouring in the first pancake. "They practically crumbled when you touched them."

"Some cookies are just... Like that?" Wally shrugged, leaning over and snagging a taste of batter. "And no, yours held together just fine. If anything they were a little... Crunchy."

"Wally. They really weren't how cookies should be. If they were 'crunchy' it was because they were rock solid, and that's not right."

He rolled his eyes. "They were fine. Just a little... well done."

"That's not what that means."

"Well, clearly they it is, since yours were back in middle school."

Dick blinked. "Was it really that long ago?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Wally nodded. "You made them because I was sick, remember? I was miserable."

"Maybe that's why you could eat them," He reasoned, flipping the pancake. "Your nose was too plugged up to taste them."

"No, it really wasn't."

Dick pointed the spatula at him. "Then you admit they were disgusting?" 

Wally rolled his eyes. "I never said that. I can just still remember their taste to this very day."

"Because they were fucking charcoal."

"No..."

"Wait. Which would you rather eat," Dick put the finished pancake on a plate, covering it with a towel and starting on the next one. "Cinnamon Toast Crunch, or my disgusting charcoal cookies from middle school?"

"Oh, easy. The char-" He stopped himself. "Chocolate chip. Chocolate chip cookies."

"You were going to say charcoal, and you know it."

"No I wasn't..." Wally's voice trailed off. "Why would I joke about something like that?"

Dick shook his head. "Okay, Wally. Whatever boats your float."

He rolled his eyes, slipping off the counter. "I'm not lying, I enjoyed them a lot."

"Mm, did you now?"

"Of course I did, babes." Wally hugged him from behind, the warmth of the heating pack radiating onto his back. "You made them for me."

"That does not make them good by any means." He pointed out. "They were really bad. Everyone else agreed."

"Yeah, but you made them. For me. And I enjoyed that."

Dick laughed, turning his head and kissing Wally's cheek. "You're such a sap, you know that?"

"Of course I do." He nuzzled his face into his neck. "You remind me about it all the time, after all."

"Hey, I need to flip this pancake."

Wally pulled away, chuckling. "And you really, really, aren't."

"I can be..." Dick argued. "Just not in big ways."

"And I love that." He confessed, kissing the back of his neck. "I can't imagine you any other way."

Just that little touch and he was blushing wildly. If Wally knew how much control he had over him, he would be shocked. It was incredible, and a little scary sometimes, and...

"And the same with you." Dick choked out.

Wally snickered. "I mean, I can imagine myself differently."

He raised an eyebrow; this had to be a joke. "How?"

"Well, without periods, for one."

Dick laughed. "How did I know you were going to say that?"

"Because they suck." Wally stated simply. "And it definitely hasn't been long enough to take anything else for the pain."

"Even with speedster metabolism?"

He nodded. "Nope... And you should flip that pancake."

"Oh, shit." Dick got it off the pan not a moment too soon, adding it to the plate with the other and pouring in more batter. "Thanks, babe."

Wally kissed him on the cheek. "Speaking of which, though... I should probably start a load of laundry."

He wanted to offer to do that too, but he knew that Wally wouldn't let him. 

"I'll probably be finished cooking these by the time you've gotten that going."

"Alright." He kissed his cheek again. "I'll be back in a... Shit, we're out of hydrogen peroxide, aren't we?"

"Nah," Dick flipped another pancake. "There's more under the bathroom sink."

"Great, thanks babe. Be back in a flash!"

He rolled his eyes, still smiling, shaking his head at his ridiculous boyfriend. But really though, that had been the truth: there wasn't a thing like that he would change about him.

If he could make him not have periods again right now, cutting the wait for HRT and skipping time to the point all of that would stop? He would do that in a heartbeat. If he could give him a flat chest like he wanted? Instantly. But his personality?

"And I'm back!" Wally declared, kissing Dick on the other cheek this time, taking another finger-full of batter from the bowl. "Told ya I would be done sooner, not even a competition."

Dick lightly smacked his hand away with the spatula. "Away from the batter, you fiend."

But he grinned all bright and cheerful and lopsided, and... He couldn't help but smile back.

No, he wouldn't change Wally's personality for the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this needs an explanation.
> 
> Every time I find a fic where a trans guy is on his period, it's one of two things:
> 
> 1\. He's caught by surprise, ends up crying in distress and is really freaked out, and then gets pampered (despite the assumption this is not his first period).
> 
> 2\. It's used as a way to out him.
> 
> So I wrote this when I, an NB person, was on my period, because this is just what I want: casual life, moving on.
> 
> That's been a little bit of the theme of this week: writing fics with a (maybe too overltly) trans character, because I just don't see myself those places. All of the options I tend to get are suffering, or porn, and we're changing that!
> 
> (Check out Ghost on the Dance Floor!)
> 
> Love y'all <3

**Author's Note:**

> Uhh... Tumblr is Supertinywords or Supertinybats! 
> 
> Comments are Love!


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